First Quarter
by IWillBeThereWhereYouAre
Summary: The sequel to Twenty Six. Edward and the Cullens are teaching Bella, a vampire for ten years, how to pretend to be human.
1. Preface

**Okay, so about six late-night epiphanies later, I finally have a concept for this! Yay! Unfortunately, my creativity is limited—so sorry the title and preface suck horrifically. (This is also un-beta'd, so I apologize for any poor spelling/grammar choices. Everything else shall be beta'd, scout's honor.)**

**The preface is just catch up, find out where we are at the beginning of the story. Any suggestions at all—especially for a new title would be greatly appreciated. Either PM me or leave a review. **

Chapter One – Preface

Ten years. Ten years had passed, and it felt like only a few hours. Time really did seem different, now that I had been changed. Slow and fast, all at the same time. The first year had been the hardest, slowly adjusting to my new lifestyle. But Edward, my beautifully perfect husband, was my rock. He stayed strong, teaching me control. And even though I feared losing my humanity would drive us apart, instead it deepened our bond.

And eventually, my eyes faded slowly from crimson to topaz.

Ten years. It had taken me ten years before my head began to clear itself of the constant, ever-present thirst. We stayed in the isolation of our home in Alaska, occasionally visiting with Tanya and her coven in Denali. Edward had promised that he would not let me be like Bree, and he was always a man of his word. Instead of murderous rampages, I perfected my Spanish. I read Jane Austen until the bindings cracked in protest. Emmett taught me how to wrestle, against Edward's protests, and I shamed him countless times in arm wrestling matches. He has yet to challenge me to a rematch.

But becoming a vampire definitely had its benefits. Aro's curiosity in my future powers was well founded. I seemed to have picked up a few traits from each of my family members. The most dominant is the ability to read minds, courtesy of my faultless husband. But it's much deeper than hearing exactly what someone was thinking. Like Jasper, I can understand someone's emotions, as well as their thoughts. Unlike Jasper, I have no control over those emotions, I merely interpreted them. Like Alice, I have visions. They are not as frequent or as far off in the future as hers. Emmett argues that I'm merely "vision stealing".

Edward claims I possessed the same intense beauty Rosalie has, but I don't believe his biased opinion.

Another effect my change brought was that my thoughts are no longer a mystery to my husband. Edward says turning me into a vampire changed his frequency to AM. I'm still immune to ... No one in the family is complaining—no longer do they have to hear our constant doting. Edward and I were granted the ability to have completely private conversations—which, to me, was the greatest gift possible.

Life was perfect. Edward and I often trekked alone on hunting trips. We would spend our time discussing important—and unimportant—topics. He was intent on me remembering every pleasant human memory I could. I learned what little Edward could remember of his human life. And there were other newlywed things we did, that required the others to be on hunting trips. Ten pleasant years, passed both swiftly and unhurried at the same time.

And then a few months ago, we had a family meeting, to discuss whether or not I was ready.

They were growing restless. Carlisle grew tired of the long commute it took to the hospital. Alice missed the city lights and her shopping sprees. Emmett never complained—he had his irritable bears, and needed nothing more. Edward was dead-set against it, claiming as much time that could be spent in isolation should be spent.

I silenced them instantly, refusing to let them make this decision for me. I finally felt in control well enough to go back. To begin the façade of being human. They began making plans that same day.

It felt like a well-rehearsed play, written jointly by the entire Cullen family. Edward, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme had already established themselves into the new city, ready for the beginning of the school year. They were resuming the pretenses I had met them under—Carlisle and Esme were married with the three of them as their adopted foster children. Since Emmett and Rosalie both appeared older, they were to be a married couple. And I would be their niece, orphaned by a car crash, avoiding foster care.

I did not enjoy the arrangement at first glance. But we would have the nights to get together. Frequent hunting trips as well. But there was a reason, a strategy behind this arrangement.

In one week, I'll be the new girl, transferred in at the beginning of the second grading quarter. Edward will be the former new student. I'll show up at school, we'll "meet." We'll go through all the arbitrary rules of courtship. We'll be boyfriend and girlfriend. It would be a far more logical explanation for why we would be holding hands, kissing, looking lovingly at each other.

As Emmett, Rosalie and I packed up the last few boxes in Alaska, a false pretense in this human farce, I searched my recollections. My human memories were deteriorating rapidly. I was having difficulty remembering what high school would be like. And I had never been around so many humans before—would that temptation be too much for me to handle, as Edward predicted?

One week. It was all the time I had left to panic about it.

And then I would find out my true strength.

**Review, por favor??**


	2. Arrival

**Alright, here it is. Unfortunately, I can make no promises about when I'll be able to post again. I'll try my hardest though.**

**In true Stephanie Meyer fashion, I'm going to be putting up a playlist that helps set the mood for the chapters. It's up on my profile now. :)**

**Standard disclaimer. I don't own Twilight; it's characters or anything else involved.**

**Chapter Two - Arrival**

Edward drove the Volvo today at a reluctant pace. It took every ounce of strength he had to remain composed. His eyes, the softest topaz imaginable, betrayed the pretense. He struggled to keep his thoughts collected and out of my grasp.

Out of respect, I kept my eyes on the road, my thoughts on preparing for the day.

One block away from school, his jaw tightened. "We don't have to do this now. We can wait a few years..."

I shot him an irritated glance. "Kind of late now, don't you think? They're sort of expecting us."

"It doesn't matter. _They_ don't matter." His voice quickly became irritated. "You are my only priority. Your safety. That is my only precedence."

I ran my hand along his cheek, a calming motion. And he winced at my touch, pained by what waited for us. I couldn't hide forever. Holing myself away, denying my family the human experiences they longed for. I had to face this sometime, and there seemed to be no time like the present.

_I'm trying to protect you. Please._

His perfectly sincere demeanor was hard to miss. His eyes pleaded with me silently, his thoughts coaxing me with a similar beauty. Only I knew he was fighting a futile battle.

For him, my flawless husband, I had to remain strong.

"I know you're trying to protect me." I whispered, taking a deep breath. "But I'm ready." He looked deep into my eyes, seeking affirmation in my sincerity. I knew that, with him by my side, I could do this.

He was the rightful source of strength for me.

With a delicate grin, he turned the last block. He pulled the Volvo into the parking spot farthest away. No one wanted the long walk, and the surrounding empty spots would give me a few brief seconds of clarity, in case I wasn't ready.

Like the gentleman he was, he spun around the front of the car and opened my door for me. Instantly his palm was in mine, a reassuring feeling. His cold granite hand in mine...

I stepped out the door, and then the smell hit me.

My mouth watered instantly, yearning... The millions of hunting trips we took in that week in preparation for this exact moment—they all disappeared in one swift second. It was like I was learning to control myself all over again, a battle I could see myself so easily losing...

Edward's grip tightened epically. His thoughts contemplating...

_...Take you home...not ready._

"No!" I hissed, my breathing slackening. "I told you I could handle this. I'm handling it."

I placated my thoughts, focusing on details that relaxed me as a newborn. Edward's face. I started at his jaw line, tracing the smooth curve of it with my eyes. Then his cheeks, concrete and pale. His eyes, a tempting liquid gold...

He led me along, one arm wrapped around my shoulder. A seemingly friendly embrace, but the force would crush someone less durable. I kept my head down nervously, a typical reaction for a new student. Luckily, no one seemed too inquisitive.

_...Gonna fail that Chem test..._

_Better get to my locker before..._

_Did I unplug the toaster..?_

He pushed through the front doors easily, and soon we were walking briskly through the hallway towards the main office. The scent was more concentrated in here, the hallway completely filled with uneager students.

From the look in his eyes, he had so much he wanted to tell me but couldn't. So I forced myself into his thoughts, and he would no doubt be doing the same to mine.

_You are so strong, my beautiful wife._

I smiled, hiding the pain behind this mundane action. He believed I was strong. That made the impulse to control myself even more intense. I ignored the sweet smell filling my lungs, intoxicating me slowly.

_I love you completely, and I won't let anything bad happen to you._

He walked me through the office doors, not once releasing me from his grip.

"Mr. Cullen!" The secretary, too young for that polyester sweater, illuminated at our entrance. It had been a slow day in the office, and she needed _something _to do. Gorgeous Edward was a satisfactory diversion.

"It's really a funny story, Miss Hardy. I was driving to school today, and I encountered Bella McCarty." He motioned towards me, and I realized I would have to get used to hearing that last name. It was Emmett's last name before he met the Cullens, and since he was my supposed "uncle" we would be assuming his last name. "We were friends at my old school."

"Well, welcome Bella!" Miss Hardy exclaimed, her syrupy voice dripping like honey. "I actually just spoke with your Uncle."

I shuddered at the thought of what Emmett was capable of telling them.

She had already begun digging into a mountain of paperwork, searching for my schedule. Third pile, seventh paper down. The occasional vision helped my family avoid losing things. I grinned smugly, and Edward followed suit.

I felt secure in this room. Only Miss Hardy, and her Kindergarten teacher demeanor made her less desirable. But with Edward's iron grip on my shoulder, a snap decision would be obstructed before I could move an inch.

With a benevolent smile, she handed me the schedule. Though I knew all my classes would have at least one other Cullen present at all times.

Edward examined the list over my shoulder, even though I knew he knew. He smiled, continuing the charade. "Since I have first hour study hall anyway, would it be alright if I gave Bella a tour? She gets lost easily."

I shot him a mockingly angry glare, and he grinned.

_You know it's true, love._

I sighed, and admitted that it was true. Miss Hardy quickly scribbled out pink hall passes out for us, and the final bell beginning classes rang. Everyone scurried hastily to their classes, leaving the hallways empty. I breathed slightly with relief as we entered into barrenness.

"You know why I'm giving you this _tour_, right?" His words implied sarcasm, and I walked pressed up against his chest. "The scent is still here in the hall. You can expose yourself to it, without exposing others to you."

He poked me playfully on the nose, and I chuckled.

"That's not the only reason why you're doing this."

He shrugged, kissing the bridge of my nose. "I may have wanted to get a little alone time with you."

"If that's what you wanted, all you had to do was ask." I placed my hand into his, the scent still dizzyingly present. It would take a lot more than just one period of empty hallways to immunize me to that enthralling scent.

"I will protect you." He chanted over and over again, humming my beautiful lullaby. But deep down, I knew the truth. I saw how easily Jasper had snapped at one stream of blood...

At what point would Edward's protection not be enough?

**Please please review!! It will make my super-stressful week so much better! Plus it makes me write faster. ;)**


	3. Beacon

**Sorry this chapter is so lame. I blame severe writer's block. The song Edward plays for Bella is "Eve, The Apple of my Eye" by Bell X1.**

**Insert standard "i don't own anything' disclaimer here. The only thing I own is a passionate dislike for Stoiciometry like Bella. :P**

**Chapter Three – Beacon**

They shouldn't put windows in the front of classrooms. Even with the dreary gray clouds hanging in the sky, the same six automobiles passing at 20 mph, the same middle-aged women walking their dogs in sweatpants and oversized T-shirts—all of these things were much more fascinating than the lecture.

Chemistry. Stoichiometry. I hated learning it the first time, and I had no doubt that I would dislike it the second time around.

Edward's hand brushed mine excitedly as the teacher, a balding 40-some bachelor, pushed his bifocals up further to the bridge of his nose.

It was fourth hour, and I had become somewhat sensitized to the smell. I wasn't at the point of complete safety, but I was growing accustomed to it. Regardless, my throat still throbbed with thirst. I had a ways to go.

Mr. Horn walked along the rows of desks, passing out worksheets. The class collectively groaned, at the prospect of homework on this soggy Monday. One more period until lunch time, and they were all getting agitated.

"Alright, the rest of the hour is for you to work on these problems."

The girl in front of me swung her body around tensely, handing me the packet, averting all eye contact. Her instincts told her to shy away from me, even with her faint curiosity.

_...Seems nice enough...maybe I should try talking..._

Turns out my theory of it getting easier was just an illusion.

Every feeling I was suppressing was so sinister. Truly embracing my inner monster, I licked my lips slowly, the pulsating in the base of my throat intensifying. She played nervously with her hair, that pleasing smell filling the air. She was hardly the most alluring in the room, but she definitely would do...

Edward shot me a concerned glance, his breath quickly on my neck, snapping me from my reverie. He cleared his throat, and snatched the packet from my hand easily.

_You're doing so well. You don't even need to think such a thing._

Sincerity dripped from his tone like honey. It was hard enough having to control my actions, but now I had repressed my thoughts too. I heaved a heavy sigh; this was such a burden today.

_Need a distraction?_

I nodded, and he quickly worked into action. He took an empty desk on my left. A loud screeching filled the room as he slid the ancient relic millimeters away from mine. Once he situated himself, he looked at me happily. In his steady hand, he held out one ear bud to his Ipod, a convincing gleam in his eyes.

I slipped the headphone in, and put pencil to paper. The first problem was simple, and went as far as my ability could go. Hardly the distraction I needed. I finished it before Edward could pick the first song.

The piano started off slow and sweet. It was a song I could imagine Edward performing. His perfect fingers gracefully dancing along the keys. At first, the selection baffled me. Such a soft song wouldn't divert me; it would lull me into weakness. And then I realized that was the point. Just as my lullaby had coaxed me to sleep when I was human, this was supposed to calm me.

And it worked.

My splintering grip on the pen slackened. The throbbing decelerated. Edward's tense posture loosened. Soon, a peaceful smile emerged, like a ray of sunshine in my desolation.

I closed my eyes, letting the darkness encase me. The constant buzzing of thoughts, the rush of emotions—I tuned all of these things out. The only thing I focused on was Edward's love. My personal beacon, saving me from the obscurity.

And suddenly I didn't need chemistry problems, silver clouds, middle-aged women, or headphones to distract me.

I had Edward's unfaltering love, and that gave me all the confidence I would need.

**(takes a deep breath) sorry this took me so long to put up. But to be honest, I haven't had the time to write it. :( Finals will be over this week, so i'll be able to do more then. And in the future, there will be more fluff and a few scenes I find to be very funny. (Emmett is pretending to be Bella's dad--need I say more?)**

**In the mean time, PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	4. Cafeteria

Standard disclaimer. I own nothing.

**Chapter Four – Cafeteria**

"I don't see the point in this."

I clutched the plastic red tray like it was my lifeboat, rescuing me from danger. For a small school, there certainly were a lot of people in the cafeteria. I was not accustomed to having that many thoughts, that many emotions, that many presences before. Reading 300-some students left me dizzy with confusion.

And then there was the issue of buying lunch. A lunch I wouldn't eat, even if I wanted to.

Edward chuckled, and put a shiny red apple on his tray. "You don't have to see the point."

_We have appearances to keep up._

His mind was filled with that balmy laughter I enjoyed. I looked at him sternly, and silently.

_You know I hate you wasting money on unnecessary things._

Another chuckle, only this one was out loud, for the entire cafeteria to take pleasure from. My sluggish steps hastened quickly—everyone behind me was growing impatient, intolerant with hunger. Again, the influx of new and strange emotions blinded me—I could no longer tell if my irritation was secondhand or not.

Regardless, I wanted to get out of this line as soon as possible. It made me uncomfortable being around two foreign subjects: food and humans.

Edward led me to the line, and purchased his food first. The lunch lady was having a difficult time controlling her hormones, and I had a difficult time controlling my laughter. My jealousy towards other girls and my husband had subsided as soon as I learned to read everyone around me. Not only could I see Edward's true disinterest, I was given the ability to find that desperation funny.

His reactions rarely mirrored mine—he was too much of a gentleman for that.

He waited at the edge of the register for me, his patience was impressive. As I held out my hand with money in it, the lunch lady eyed me with curiosity. Annoyance flooded me quickly, and I trembled with fear.

_...New girl...hope she knows her pin number..._

She rolled her eyes mentally. I searched my memory, trying to remember that number attached to my schedule. Had we used pin numbers in Forks? It seemed so distant, like it had been more than just ten years.

"Sorry...it's my first day." I muttered, fumbling with the mechanical screen. Outdated machinery, probably. I punched my

"Guess I should've warned you." He chuckled, and I scowled. We both knew he'd been forgiven instantly.

Edward led me to the farthest corner, where Alice and Jasper had already taken their seats. Their heads were thrown back in carefree laughter, and I remembered how envious I had once been. Back in Forks, back when I was human—they had always looked so perfect together. It still didn't feel like I belonged to that perfection. Even with myself tied to Edward, I had trouble convincing myself that I belonged.

When they turned around and waved to us, I smiled, and the convincing became less difficult.

"So how's the first day going?" Jasper asked casually, sliding himself even closer towards Alice, leaving enough space at the table for Edward and I.

I shrugged. "I'm doing okay."

"She's being modest." He pecked my cheek, beaming with pride, and took a seat. Normally, something like that would make me blush. That was one of the few things Edward missed the most. I wasn't so sentimental about that embarrassment.

"You don't have to worry anyway." Alice threw her hands in the air, as if she had some exciting story to tell. Or, at the very least, her enthusiasm would influence me. "I don't see anything bad happening."

Her lips twitched slightly with a knowing grin, but she held her thoughts tight.

"Nothing bad." I repeated, my voice filled with biting sarcasm. "Then why are you trying to hide that smile?"

"It's not _that_ kind of bad..." She hinted. I hated her ambiguity sometimes. "It's cheating if I tell you."

"Any word on if Emmett's found a job yet?" Jasper jumped in—I remained certain he was in on Alice's secret. Just as I opened my mouth to interrogate him on what he knew...

"You'll just have to wait until the end of the day to find out what I'm talking about. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait." Her glare darted between Edward and I, which prevented me from telling who she was telling this to. Both of them clung to their thoughts, and refused to let go.

Stupid fortune-telling vampire.

Luckily, Jasper's power kicked in and I was starting to feel more relaxed. My eyes caught on the tray of food sitting in front of me. Untouched. Unmoved. I looked around the cafeteria, teenagers chomping and chewing and chatting... Maybe it was paranoia, but it felt like I was being watched. Everyone had been so fascinated by my arrival; I lingered in so many minds...

I was reaching for a cup of yogurt when Edward's firm hand caught mine.

"You don't want to do that, love." He winced.

"Why not? I thought there were appearances to keep up." I echoed his own words, and he scoffed slightly bitter.

_You're being extremely paranoid. And just trust me—that yogurt isn't worth it._

"If you're _that _worried about it, then we can tell everyone you're anorexic." He whispered with a laugh. Alice and Jasper chuckled warmly, and I copied their tone.

"Then maybe you'll fit in even better." Alice quipped.

"I have no desire to fit in, thank you very much. There are only three people in this school that I care about, and I'm looking at them." I stated, suddenly very somber. The laughter erased, and I flooded with sentiment. All three sets of golden eyes locked on me, the reactions mirrored.

And I felt very...complete.

**Whew, summer is so close I can taste it! I'll be updating more of this and my other stories soon! (speaking of which, you should all go and read my newest Twilight fic "Past Poisons" shamless self-promotion)**

**Okay, that's it. Please review! Your comments mean the world to me!!**


	5. Darkroom

**A/N: This took an insane amount of time. I'm SO SO SO sorry. In my defense: I survived**** finals (barely), and spent the first week and a half of my summer vacation spending time with friends who were leaving the country. Then Sunday came, and I was way excited to write. And then two mortal enemies of writers struck simultaneously: tendonitis in my right wrist and writers block. I've overcome the second completely (thank God) and am recovering from the first slowly. (on the flipside, i've got a wicked awesome wrist brace. Seriously, it's awesome) So please forgive my previous delay, but I promise it won't happen again.**

**So without further delay, here it is...finally! I'm just kind of getting back into the groove of these things so...be gentle, please. ;)**

**Chapter Five – Darkroom**

He was enjoying this tour guide role a little too much. I could tell.

His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he showed me around his classroom. Sixth hour photography. This was his first time taking the course ever, and the only thing that surpassed his enjoyment of playing tour guide, was being able to share it with me.

We stopped in front of a black door, and his anticipation reached its crest.

"And this...is the darkroom."

He said, his words oozing with heat. The kind that made living in two different houses impossible, that made being apart purely evil. Whatever control I had, disintegrated with those five words.

With complete restlessness, I stepped through the doorway, and into the darkness.

Edward's hand guided me, though my eyes adjusted to the dark instantly. One of the perks of being a vampire. The darkness was our mask, where we could hide completely from the world.

We walked through the room, about the size of Alice's unnecessary bathroom. It wasn't difficult to ignore all the complaints about broken enlargers and exposed papers. We stopped in the furthest corner, where the broken enlarger sat idly. No one would disturb us there.

_I have missed you all day._

His hands trailed along the back of my neck, his butterscotch eyes ablaze. Sparks shot down my spine, and I twisted my hands through his disheveled mess of hair.

And I smiled.

_We've had almost every single class together. How could you miss me?_

Those zealous hands pulled me even closer towards him without effort. He grinned playfully, that brilliantly uneven smile. My taciturn heart melted.

_I couldn't really do this in the middle of English, don't you think?  
_

He kissed me with ferocity, like no kiss I had experienced as a human. These were the kisses I longed for, dreamt of. His lips moving passionately with mine, not longing for blood but my lips. His hands slid easily through my hair, gripping me ardently. Complete and absolute ecstacy.

There was nothing I could do to debate on that. This was definitely something that had to be reserved for the dark. His solemnity rolled off in waves. Our icy hands entertwined, my back pressed up against the wall.

His lips greedily tasted every inch of my jawline, his hands just as ravenous. His motions were vigilant and deliberate. When I wasn't giddy with happiness, I kept an eye out for onlookers. The coast was clear. No one was even aware of our presence.

_Is this the reason you signed us up for this class?_

He stopped moving, looking at me with speculation. With bravado, he nodded.

_Just checking. I don't mind._

Another impossibly perfect smile. Our elegant dance continued, our bodies swaying together, musicless.

_I know how much you enjoyed keeping your thoughts private..._

The tip of his nose nuzzled my earlobe, his sweet breath dancing on my cheek.

_...but it would be difficult to explain this to the others._

I made my move towards his glassy lips, biting on them playfully. His pure satisfaction mirrored mine, and I contined with the kissing I desired.

_We don't need the dark to do this, you know._

He shrugged, grazing his cheek against mine. His lips rested against my ear, the softest whisper meant only for me.

"I know. But we get to take our time now." His murmurs sounded like singing to me. Pure elation swept over me. For once, I was not overcome by the fear of betraying our lifestyle. The only thing I focused on was Edward, and my undying love for him.

My true definition of perfect.

Then a vision...brief, but terrifying. Shattering my illusion of faultlessness. Edward noticed as I stopped moving, his trepidation became overwhelming. But that, I could not focus on. In less than a second, it would happen. I waited, motionless, in anticipation for it.

The sound of shattering glass entered my universe, shortly followed by the scream. Girl, maybe a junior. Blonde hair, slightly pale skin. Her scent was nothing spectacular, except for its strength.

She had dropped a plate of glass, and cut her hand subsequently.

That scent hit me like nothing had ever hit me before. A room full of students hadn't impacted me like this had. Since the blood had spilled... It was the most delicious scent I had ever inhaled. It intoxicated me. The darkness was my veil, I could...

Edward snapped me from my thoughts. I held my breath out of instinct, clamoring for the door.

_Get out. Now._

But I had already dashed for the exit. I had to get away. If I loitered for another second, there would be no chance I could control myself.

The dull fluorescent light did not phase me. I strode towards the teacher with incentive.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Martin." I nudged the teacher, barely concerned of the conversation I was interrupting. The saccharine aroma lingered in my mind, still taunting me viciously. I had to get out of this room. "Can I go to the bathroom please?"

With my absolute charm, there was no way for her to deny me that. The teacher pointed me in the right direction with a obliging smile on her face. I had to remind myself to run at a slower pace, not the vampire pace.

I made it to the bathroom, and crashed in the bathroom stall. If I had been capable of crying, I would have. Instead, I shook with tearless sobs of guilt. With my knees under my chin, rocking back and forth, I contemplated the past seconds. My tempest, testing my strength.

I had been so close, so close. Two more seconds, and I would have shattered everything Carlisle and Esme, and Alice and Jasper, and Emmett and Rosalie, and Edward had built. Now I knew where Jasper had been on my catastrophic birthday. I knew where Edward was on my first day in Forks.

My shame intensified.

"You have nothing to be guilty about." His voice was reassured and strong. Of course he got out of there so fast. "You were in no danger."

"Are you joking? That girl in there cut her hand open. If you hadn't been there..."

"You have done remarkable today." He crouched down to my level, cramming his beautiful frame into the undersized stall. He pressed his lips against my forehead, stroking my hair compassionately. "I am undeniably proud of you. What happened in there changes nothing."

My breath caught in my throat, overwhelmed by his adoration. His unwavering faith in me.

"You put too much faith in me. I'm not perfect."

He shook his head before the thought even finished. "To me, Isabella Cullen," He kissed the bridge of my nose, his gaze lingering avidly with mine. Bliss engulfed me. "You are the epitome of perfection."

**A/N: This did kind of happen to me in Photography. Not the making out with a vampire husband (I wish), the breaking glass thing. You know what they say: write what you know. ;)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**


	6. Embarassment

**Chapter Six – Embarassment**

Dark gray clouds guaranteed rain soon, which ironically lightened my spirits for two reasons. First, most of the students assembled in the doorway or in their cars, away from my sensitive and blood-thirsty self. Second, because I could wait with the people I loved most, my husband and my siblings, freely.

"Are you sure I can't give you a ride?" He asked, casually brushing his hand along my arm. Nothing tantalized me more than being along with Edward in the car. But the truth of the matter was, I had promised Emmett he could pick me up after school. He had been so excited about my return to high school, probably hunting for some vicarious fun. His disappointment that he couldn't bring me to school was obvious—the only thing that sated him was the promise to pick me up.

"I promised my uncle..." I choked through those last words as a group of girls passed us grudgingly. Their infatuation with Edward was apparent, as was their disdain for his rumored girlfriend. "He'll be here in a couple minutes."

_I promise I will spend every second with you I can tonight._

Before I could respond, verbally or nonverbally, to Edward's vow, I felt something coming towards me. A human. A boy, more specifically. The fragrance was oddly nauseating. For once I had not been tempted by someone's aroma. Still, with curiosity I examined his thoughts.

_...worth a shot...gotta try...maybe..._

Edward never left my side, he merely stepped back for a second. Alice and Jasper did the same, leaving me alone with the classmate.

"Hi." The boy said, his anxiety engulfing me. I almost trembled with that same fear, his emotions were that overwhelming. When I didn't really respond, those reactions doubled. He thought I didn't recall him. "We have English together?"

I remembered his name. My memory lately had improved significantly lately. "Chris, right?" He nodded, confidence building. "I'm Bella. I just moved here."

It was stupid and an obvious statement, but it was the first thing that popped into my head. Edward, Alice and Jasper were all watching with amusement.

_...maybe she likes coffee...or there's a new movie...so pretty, she probably already has a boy..._

It took every ounce of strength I had left in me to not roll my eyes when I realized his intentions. It seemed so irrational that these guys found me attractive. Even with the vampire...enhancements, I did not see myself attractive.

"Listen, Bella. I was wondering..." Chris took a step closer towards me, his newfound confidence dripping from his internal conversation. I knew Chris' intentions. Edward knew Chris' intentions. It was irritating me greatly that Edward was not stepping in at all. "Would you want to go out with me sometime?"

I stammered. "I don't really know if that..."

Chris continued coming closer towards me, making me more uncomfortable than ever. Edward and the others stood there, annoyingly motionless. What happened to chivalry, or defending my honor? Protecting me? Someone was hitting on his wife--I was expecting more of a reaction from Edward.

Instead, he chuckled softly to himself. I motioned for him to shut up.

"Bella?" A booming voice called from the distance. In between two parked busses I saw Emmett's bulky frame, approaching me and my unwanted suitor. His size and thunderous voice was absolutely daunting to my potential "beau". I was accustomed to Emmett's appearance, and felt no threat in it. In fact, it was arduous trying to not laugh.

"Uncle Emmett..." I pleaded softly, slipping readily into my role. Emmett had been practicing all day for this, evidently. "You're early."

"Yeah, and I'm glad I got off work early!" He exclaimed, fake anger exuding from his bellows. His sheer size alone was filling poor Chris with fear, but the fury building up in his tone was going to kill this unfortunate boy. "This is my niece, and I will not have her dating some...puny little high school boy."

"Shut up, you're not my dad." I exclaimed, my inner teenager resurfacing without thought. I looked to Chris, though I knew the conversation was pretty much over. "I'm sorry, what were you saying."

Chris was fighting the urge to run away screaming. Instead, he stumbled away slowly from me, that look of terror in his eyes. "You know, I should probably..."

He ran before the sentence finished.

One final nail in my potential dating coffin... "Will I talk to you during English?"

Breathlessly, he muttered to himself that he wasn't even going to look at me ever again, if that was my crazy guardian. Once my company was out of earshot, Emmett laughed stridently.

"How'd I do?" He asked, a wide grin on his face.

I threw my arm around his burly shoulder. "Not bad, _Uncle _Emmett." His laughter exaggerated. Alice, Jasper and Edward all approached us simultaneously. My enjoyment in Emmett's role swiftly turned to anger towards my spectators.

"You knew." I stuck out my finger accusingly in Alice's direction. This was the event she had forseen during lunch. The _least _she could have done was warn me, prepare me for this. I still shuddered with embarrassment. "And _you_..." I hissed, scowling directly at my angelic husband. "Why didn't you jump in, defend my honor?"

He stammered, trying to come up with a good motive.

"You are in serious trouble." Emmett stepped up, resting his arm on my not-so-muscular shoulder. "Come on, let's go home."

Jasper and Alice teased Edward, who now stood solemn and guilty. I didn't bother telling him that I wasn't really angry with him.

That guilt would probably buy me a few hours alone with him. Well worth the price.

**Okay, seriously, was the last chapter _that _bad? I practically wrote that one-handed, and at midnight no less, and I only got five reviews. :( I am on my knees begging. Review, please please please. Even if you're criticizing my writing techniques, I don't care. I just need feedback--that's how I function as a writer. I'm holding chapter seven hostage until I have been satisfied. (Okay, so maybe sleep deprivation doesn't HELP improve my mood, but irregardless. I'm allowed one selfish teenager moment a week, and I'm cashing in mine right now.)**

**On that happy note, I've put up a poll relating to a review posted for this story. Should Jacob come back for a chapter? Only YOU can decide, so go vote!**


	7. Fighting

**A/N: Teenage angst moment over. I have been satisfied. Thank you to everybody who reviewed. I have kept up my end of the bargain, here is the next chapter. (This isn't the greatest in the world, but to be honest I've been putting most of my creativity and effort into the later chapters, which I'm very happy with.) So without further ado... **

**Chapter Six – Fighting**

I was barely in the door when Rosalie cornered me.

"Bella, I need you."

Rosalie never needed me. Rather, she never admitted that she needed me. Since my transformation, her disdain faded to tolerance. Rosalie tolerated me, occasionally threw me a smile, and then went back into her own little universe where I didn't exist. It was a routine that I was accustomed. Rosalie _needing _me was not something I was familiar with.

"What's up?" I tried to make my voice seem as casual as possible. But the shock revealed itself as my voice cracked.

Rosalie's lips twitched with a smile. "We need to go grocery shopping."

I let that sink in for a minute. There hadn't been a need for human food shopping in about ten years, not since I had joined the Cullen family. The deeper this statement sank, the more perplexed I became.

"We used to do it all the time back in Forks. Go in once a week, buy a bunch of groceries. Keep up appearances. Usually it was Esme that went." She frowned.

I spoke slowly, still confused. "Why do you..."

"Last time I sent Emmett to the store..." She hissed, her hostility slowly permeating my mind. "He came back with a hundred dollars worth of Cheetos and prunes."

"How was I supposed to know what to buy?" Emmett chuckled from behind, defending himself. "It's been some time for me too, you know!"

"We need someone with experience." She stated, calming herself by straightening the hem of her designer jacket. "So please, will you help me?"

Her pleas surprised me, but I jumped at the chance to make myself useful to Rosalie.

"Sure." I said, slipping my shoes back on. Emmett rushed towards us.

"I'm _so _coming." He said, despite Rosalie's growls of disapproval. Quickly, he jumped to his own defense. "You're letting Bella come!"

"What do you care? It's not like you're actually going to _eat _anything we buy?" I said, grabbing my purse from the hook I'd placed it last night. Emmett just shrugged, like any child would.

"I'm bored." His logic was bulletproof.

"You pick up one can of prunes..." Rosalie poked one perfectly manicured finger in his face, her flawless face glaring with antagonism. "And you'll be begging for an irritable grizzly."

Emmett really didn't talk much during the car ride. He just drove the ostentatious convertible in complete silence.

* * *

"What about this?" Rosalie held the can of green beans in her hand with cautious distance, an exquisite frown on her face. The way she was holding it, you'd think it was toxic.

"That's fine." I said, grabbing the can from her and placing it in my cart. Surprisingly, I had regressed to my human ways quite easily. Since my attraction to food perished ten years ago, I wouldn't have to worry about overspending.

My only request was that we only buy non-perishable food items. If we were going to waste money, it would be on something that could be given away to a food pantry, to people who _actually _needed the food. Neither Rosalie nor Emmett argued me with that. This was surprising, because both of them seemed to find everything else to argue about.

Emmett pushed the cart with a disheartened look on his face. Rosalie had already shot down his hopes of suggesting anything. Emmett was like a little kid when it came to shopping. He only asked for the sugary cereals and junk food, probably the things he had seen with the flashiest commercials.

Rosalie was trying to keep up a "'higher standard" for her supposed family, and Emmett's propositions just didn't assimilate.

"So how's school going?" Rosalie asked, pretending to scan the aisles carefully, and trying her hardest to make small talk. Her acceptance of me as a sister was gradual, and often painfully awkward at points.

I shrugged. "It's school."

She smiled timidly. "Yeah. I don't miss it at all. High school was always the most...mundane."

"How about these?" Emmett pointed to a green can of peaches, now standing way ahead of us. He was trying to gain our trust so he could persuade us later. Save his dignity, at the very least. Rosalie looked to me for counsel and I nodded. Emmett foolishly tossed the can towards me, as if my ten years as a vampire had made me a better athlete.

The can thudded loudly on the floor as I dropped it.

"Nice catch." He snickered, returning to the cart. He and Rosalie shared a nice laugh at my expense, watching as the tin rolled away from my hands. I chased it persistently, even as it escaped my grasp.

As I finally had it in reach, I found myself staring at someone's shoes.

I looked up unhurriedly, feeling silly crawling around the floor for a can of peaches. Only a few days in a new town and I was already making a fool out of myself. Great.

And then I recognized those beautiful golden eyes, that beautiful face, and I didn't feel silly or foolish.

He extended his hand, pulling me up from off the floor. He had already gathered the inaccessible can. His hand lingered longer than necessary as he handed it back to me.

"It's Emmett's fault. He shouldn't have tossed it to you." His crooked smile soothed me. "Finding everything alright?"

I nodded, still stupefied by his presence. We had only been apart for an hour at the most, but that felt like an eternity.

"Did Esme drag you out here?"

He nodded, for show only.

_I followed you here. Hope you don't mind._

I smiled, my body naturally gravitating towards him.

_Why would I mind?_

Rosalie and Emmett continued walking, giving me and Edward a moment together before our arrangement tore us apart.

_Being apart from you was driving me absolutely crazy._

His thoughts were barely above a whisper, still saturated with that agony of being apart. One hour didn't quite mean the same as it did when I was human. It passed by slower when we were apart and faster when we were together.

_You're coming over tonight, right?_

He raised one eyebrow, flooded with confidence. I suddenly felt like I had asked the dumbest question on the face of the earth. The night held such potential; I could hardly survive the next few hours.

_Bella, get over here now!_

Rosalie's yelling thoughts jerked me away from his grip. I glanced over my shoulder to see her at the end of the aisle. Her irritation with Emmett was obvious.

"No, stop it right now! Emmett, put that down."

Their argument was unheard by everyone in the store. But Edward and I heard it perfectly. I had to intervene before the dispute became obvious to everyone in close proximity. Which would probably be in about two seconds...

"I'd better go." I apologized profusely to Edward. I wanted to stay near him, but duty called. I quickly pecked him on the cheek, and raced off towards my quarreling brother and sister.

Only a few more hours to survive. It would be a fight, but I could manage it.

Hopefully.

**Review, please. I promise the next chapter is a little better. Also: PLEEASE go to my profile and vote in my poll. It is literally a dead heat right now, and I need your input!**


	8. Games

**The game they are playing is Halo 3 on the Xbox 360. I've never played it--this entire chapter is based on secondhand knowledge from my video game nerd brother.**

**Chapter Eight - Games**

"Bella..."

I knew what Emmett wanted. "No."

He pleaded me with soft gold eyes, clutching one black X-Box controller in each of his stalwart hands. "Please?"

I shook my head, unflinching. "No, Emmett."

"I can't play by myself, it's boring." He dropped the controller at my feet—I just continued burning holes into my book's delicate pages.

"Aren't there...computer generated goblins or aliens or whatever you're supposed to kill?"

His raucous laughter filled the room effortlessly. "Goblins? Bella, seriously. You need to get with the times. Plus, it's dull when you're just playing against the computer."

The real reason he wanted me to play was he couldn't beat the level by himself, and needed reinforcements. He was just too proud to admit it.

He stared at me for one long minute, begging silently with his eyes. I stood stoically, refusing to budge. The only thing worse than me at sports was me at video games. I wasn't going to subject myself to that mocking.

The doorbell rang. Desperate to dodge Emmett's request, I rushed to get it. There was only one group of people who would be visiting, and frankly it surprised me they bothered to ring the doorbell. I truly hoped that when I opened that door, Edward's flawless face would greet me.

Instead, Alice and Jasper looking cheerful as always, holding each other's hand.

As soon as the door was open, they invited themselves in. I looked to the driveway, into Alice's yellow Porsche, hoping. Hoping Edward was sitting in the front seat, waiting to take me away from Emmett's video games and Rosalie's car repairs.

The front seat was empty, taking away my last ounce of hope.

I kept myself at a safe distance from the three of them. For Emmett, it was out of sight out of mind. He had someone else to lure into his trap, I would be safe for a while.

"Thank God you're here. Alice." Emmett began, shoving that same jet black controller he had enticed me with. Before any proposal was made, Alice grimaced.

"No way. I don't make you go shopping with me, you don't make me play those awful games."

"You're so opposed to violence?" Emmett winked, poking Alice in the rib. Jasper smiled, plugging in his own controller and getting set up.

"No." She crinkled her face again, a sweet little scowl. "Green blood exploding from squeaky little aliens is so unnatural."

I cleared my throat, trying to feign confidence. "Why didn't you invite Edward?"

Emmett laughed stridently. "Edward sucks at Halo."

Jasper duplicated Emmett's raucous laughter. "So do you, Emmett. That's why you called me."

Emmett ignored the insults, and turned his glare to me again. "Jasper, please convince Bella that she needs to play. It's stupid when it's just us two."

Jasper sighed. "He's right, Bella. The last time it was just me and him, he blew himself up with a plasma grenade, then ended up getting stuck in a corner."

I laughed at the idea of Emmett's computerized character trapped in a corner. Jasper's memory of his reaction was very vivid, and totally worth it.

Maybe that's why two of the controllers were brand new.

"You guys don't realize how much I suck." I said without an ounce of hope. Jasper and Emmett sat next to each other, clutching their controllers, grinning idiotically. "I'll end up killing us all."

Jasper grinned, handing me a controller despite my protests. "Don't worry—so will Emmett."

* * *

Five minutes into the game, I was ready for it to end.

"I don't know how I got talked into this..." I muttered under my breath. My annoyance went unheard.

"Emmett..." Jasper groaned, his aggravation growing quickly. Another computerized explosion sounded off loudly. "Would you please stop throwing plasma grenades at me?"

Emmett grinned innocently. "I'm just trying to attack all the aliens I can."

Jasper frowned. "We're on the same team."

"Which button am I supposed to press?" I asked again, mashing all the plastic buttons I could. I still was unsure about which button let me shoot...

"Emmett, you are so..." Jasper couldn't finish the sentence before another blast tore through the screen. His face became smooth, void of all emotions. "Immature."

Emmett's grin grew quickly to a full-blown smile. "Maybe you'll remember this next time you want to say I'm going to kill us all."

Jasper respawned swiftly. As soon as I finally figured out the button scheme, and was about to begin shooting at last, Jasper paused the game.

"I'm turning friendly fire off. You've abused the power." He said with a diminutive smirk. Emmett snatched away Jasper's controller, resuming the game.

"No way." He refused, reluctantly handing back the controller once the game recommenced. "It's more fun this way."

"Fun for you. I thought this was a co-op." Jasper grimaced, disinclined to have Emmett walking behind him in the game. They both focused their pixilated gun barrels at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

Their bickering and taunting drove me insane. How Edward survived so many years with them, I will never fully understand.

"What are you waiting for, Jazzy?" Emmett said, acrimoniously.

"You to move." Jasper replied, grimacing at Emmett's new nickname for him.

"You go first."

This pattern repeated for several minutes, both demanding the other treaded forward first, leaving the other vulnerable to attack. Their voices became louder, and their frustration became insufferable. My frustration reached a climax, and I knew something had to be done. With one swift motion, I threw a plasma grenade in the middle of our "team"

Both had been so enthralled in their backbiting that the detonation caught them by surprise.

Game Over flashed onto the screen, and I threw my controller down with a smile.

"There. Problem solved."

Emmett and Jasper stared at me, in proud disbelief that I had been capable of such a malicious act. I left the sofa and joined Alice by the wall.

"Killjoy." Jasper muttered under his breath, selecting options for the next game.

I rolled my eyes, and began a conversation with Alice that did not involve Xboxes or controllers. Emmett approached us angrily.

"It's not over, Bella."

I disagreed. "I'm done."

"Bella! You're being very unreasonable." Emmett whined, grabbing my wrist, trying to bring me back to the couch. I refused to move.

"I'm a teenager, you'd better get used to it." In the privacy of our house, there was no need for role playing. Still, Emmett found the joke amusing; he merely kept his laughter to himself.

"Jasper, it's time for us to go." Alice swooped in to my rescue, taking away Emmett's support. Jasper shot Alice a pleading look, to which she promptly refused. "Now."

Without further argument or discussion, Jasper wandered sullenly towards Alice. She took his hand eagerly, and the two strode out the door.

"Thanks a lot, Bella." Emmett called back to me, sulking onto the couch. "Now I've got nothing to do."

I walked to my room, to try and find something to distract myself with.

If it were possible.

**Alright. I'd love some reviews please, that is if you want to see Edward in this story ever again. ;) haha, I'm just kidding I would never do that. Seriously though, please review. Also vote--I'm going to leave the poll up until I post chapter ten, so you have until then to vote. The future lies in your hands! (that sounded really cool... huh...)**


	9. Habits

**Insert standard "I own nothing" disclaimer here. :)**

**Chapter Nine – Habits**

With one hand on my book, I sat on the long black sofa in my second story room. It was hardly distracting reading this terrible book, and listening to Emmett and Rosalie's adorations was not helping anything.

Now I understood what Edward was saying about Alice and Jasper not being as flashy about their relationships.

Barely moving, I turned around and pressed play on the CD player he had given me. Edward had helped strengthen my CD collection in our ten years of seclusion. He had helped me strengthen a lot of things in that time. But no training could prime me for this waiting.

One hand was consigned to the silver phone resting in my lap. Each second that passed slowly, I toyed with the idea of calling him and demanding he come and be where I could see him.

I had decided that enough was enough. I was going to call him. I'd opened up the contacts list when I heard gentle tapping on the glass window.

When I reached the glass pane, his dazzling smile greeted me.

I felt complete again.

My trembling hands opened the window, not nearly fast enough. Just like he had done so many times when I was human, Edward climbed in through my bedroom window gracefully.

"We've got a front door, you know." I asked indignantly once both his feet stood solid on the ground. The window remained open as he stood an arm's length away from me, looking beautiful propping himself against the drywall.

"Old habits die hard." He said, leaning against my bedroom wall. "I've got to maintain my tree climbing abilities _somehow_."

I chuckled briefly, despite myself. Once the shock of finally seeing him again wore off, I flushed with irritation. "Why didn't you come sooner?"

His delicate laughter sounded like music. "Emmett...says I hog you. When he invited Jasper, he said that it was his turn to see you, and that we could hang out all we wanted tonight."

Emmett was the last person I was concerned about.

"There was nothing I could do, love. He threatened me on pain of death to stay away. Even persuaded Esme to keep me busy with a...tile backsplash in the kitchen." He grinned at the last part, but I remained impassive.

I took one cautious step towards him, looking at him earnestly, all the anguish I had suppressed quickly surfacing.

_You know how much I hate being away from you for so long._

I felt weak as he pulled me into his arms. I rested my cheek against his stony chest, as he ran his fingers along my back. Waves of relief and contentment rippled throughout me.

_It was absolute torture. I promise I will never subject you to that torment ever again._

He kissed my forehead tenderly, still attempting to pacify me. My unrestrained emotions were slowly reigned in as he embraced me. I could not doubt his sincerity for one brief second.

"Backsplash?" I said finally, all irritation obliterated from me.

"I'm never going to look at mosaics the same." He said with a casual grin. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I looked deep into his eyes, those alluring topaz eyes that I could drown in any day. "I'm feeling a little better now."

He unhesitatingly slipped his hand into mine. "Oh, by the way..." His free hand slipped into his pocket, pulling out something masked by his pale skin. "I thought...since we're not in school..." He snatched my left hand gently, stroking it softly. Tenderly, he slipped my silver wedding band—the ring that I had taken off, for "appearance's sake (it felt like everything I did now was for appearance's sake)—back onto my wavering hand. His smooth lips kissed the metal and skin, lingering along my fingers softly.

"I love you Mrs. Cullen." He whispered, kissing every inch of my hand, then my arm, leading to the side of my neck. With my face secured tightly in his grip, he gazed deep enough into my eyes that he could read every secret hidden deep in them.

"I missed hearing you say that." My voice was the softest whisper known to man. His sweet breath left me in a daze. "My name."

I could feel his smile as he continued to kiss me, his lips insatiably hungry.

"Speaking of which..." He said, breaking away. I groaned, trying to return to that same indulgent kiss. He held back, frustrating me effortlessly. "We should probably go hunting. We've got school tomorrow, and you know how strenuous it can be if you're even a little thirsty."

I didn't want to think about that right now. How hard my first whole day in school had been. How hard tomorrow would be, or the day after that, or the week following that. All I cared to dwell on was how blissful it felt holding Edward's hand, wearing his ring again, having him here in my room.

I wanted to dwell on the good things.

He snaked his arms around my waist, resting his lips along my ear. "We've got all night for that, love. Remember? Perk of being one of us—you don't have to sleep."

I took a deep breath, and agreed. He was right—constant hunting trips were an inevitable part of my life now. It was a reasonable price to pay for eternity with Edward.

So I climbed on his back, the cool breeze blowing through my hair, as we both climbed through onto the thick branches of the tree just outside my window. With his poise, we landed safely on the ground.

"Is it just you and me?" I asked, looking around, expecting another

He smiled wholeheartedly. "It's just me and you, love." He kissed the palm of my hand, still beaming. "Just you and me."

I took off running, with him shortly behind me. "Good. I like it when it's just you and me."

I didn't have to look to know that Edward was smiling, agreeing entirely.

**Edward's back, so please hold back the torches and pitchforks! You can, however, unleash some reviews on me. I promise I won't complain. ;) If you haven't voted, do it now!!**


	10. Interests

**Alright. Sorry for the delay. Friday I spent the day cleaning for my aunt and uncle's visit, and my weekend was spent with them. I had a lot of fun, but now I'm back. D Plus, the chapter is INSANELY long by my standards, so a reward for your endurance. **

**This chapter is set a couple days after Bella's first day of high school.**

**Another note: I actually did experience a discussion like this in English (except for going out with my vampire husband. :P) And as a final, we had to watch V for Vendetta and figure out who the dystopian protagonist and mentor were.**

**Okay. That's it. I own nothing.**

**Chapter Ten – Interests**

"For the last fifteen minutes of class, I want you all to discuss in small groups the last page in your dystopian packets, particularly about the end of the movie and its overall themes."

My English teacher began rattling off names, already assigned to groups. I focused less on the droning of Mrs. Jackson, and more on my internal discussion with Edward. Something far more interesting than classmates' names reiterated over and over.

"Jessica, Chris, Edward and Bella." Mrs. Jackson finally read aloud. I had already known my group members, picking them up casually from the teacher's mind. Edward smiled as I wandered towards him. I dreaded dealing with Chris, but Edward was my incentive. My reward. I would bear Chris grudgingly.

Jessica, however, was absolutely elated to be put in a group with Edward. Just the thought of being in close proximity with him both terrified and overjoyed her. And it made me laugh to hear her say how intimidated she was of me. As if my "beauty" was some overshadowing force in this school.

We all assembled our ancient metal and wood desks into a makeshift circle. We all exchanged faint greetings, uncomfortable already.

"So...dystopia. How screwed up the world _could _be. That's a cheery subject to talk about before lunch." He said awkwardly, getting a few chuckles out of Jessica and Chris. But unwieldy silence promptly returned. Edward rested his hand on my desk, turning all his attention towards me. Both Chris and Jessica watched intently. "Are we going out for pizza today or tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." I replied with a smile. "I'm not real hungry today."

"Sounds good to me." His breath blew in my face gently, sending me into a tizzy. We just stared at each other, much longer than friends would gaze.

Chris cleared his throat. He must've picked up the hints. "I'm thinking that the protagonist is actually Evey, though V would be her...mentor."

"Where did you go to school?" Jessica asked suddenly, and even if I couldn't hear her thoughts chanting Edward's name repetitively, I would've known who the true subject of her question. The way she was gawking Edward was not very inconspicuous.

"Alaska." He answered quickly. Short and sweet.

"This scenario in London would probably be a governmental dystopia, not a technological..." Chris fought to keep us on topic, but it was a futile undertaking.

She bit her bottom lip. "Huh. Bella, aren't you from Alaska too?"

I nodded, knowing exactly what she was trying to ascertain. "We went to the same school, actually."

"So you guys are friends?" She tapped one finger on her desk, her blue eyes overflowing with hope. Chris watched silently, also eager for the answer to this. His affections had, unfortunately, not changed since his unfortunate incident with Emmett. And he still saw Edward as an impediment on his road to wooing me.

Both Edward and I glanced at each other knowingly. If we were to divulge the real truth—that we were married vampires—we would have a bigger problem than two disgruntled followers. Now was the time: confess or continue the illusion a little longer.

Before either one could answer... "Are you busy tonight?" She leaned onto the very edge of her desk, her eyes sparkling with hope. Her pulse raced erratically, looking at Edward, so obsessed already. "I was thinking maybe we could get coffee or something."

He smiled, very politely. "Jessica, you are very kind, but I'm afraid I've got a girlfriend." His hand twitched towards mine, a very restrained hint. "And she would get insanely jealous if I were to get coffee with you.

I shot him one angry look at him for his uncalled for jab, and focused back onto the glum junior.

Jessica's stomach dropped, and her fusion of resentment and nausea overpowered me. The entire time she had been hoping that I was like a sister or something, but the minute he said the word girlfriend, both she and Chris knew he meant me. I, however, felt relief. I did not have to pretend to be a friend in school with him anymore.

"No, that's cool. Whatever." Her eyes averted to the packet, the queasiness fortifying with each second. Soon, her voice dropped to a depleted whimper. "So...dystopia..."

Like absolute salvation, the bell rang. We all scrambled to gather our books and get out the door. We had managed to step in front of Jessica and Chris at the same time. Edward looked at me deviously, and wrapped one arm around my shoulder. Defending his territory. Nice. Just in case she didn't catch our subtle hints earlier, she was sure to know now.

Her envy and his fuming anger came off them like steam.

I looked at Edward once both our followers had dispersed into the hallway. _That was a little excessive._

He smiled eagerly. _I just can't keep my hands off of you, Mrs. Cullen._ He knew how much I enjoyed hearing him call me that.

"I'm sorry." He said out loud, the tip of his nose grazing the side of my neck. "I know how jealous you get."

"It's only fair you get your share of admirers. I'd hate for your ego to deflate due to lack of attention."

Once again, he smiled that delicious grin. "Your attention..." He brushed my russet brown hair away from my shoulder, his hand grazing my skin enchantingly. "...is the only attention I will ever crave."

I rolled my eyes, and continued walking towards our next class. Biology. "So, I have a question for you. About tonight, I mean." I paused out of habit, and he looked eager for the question. "Your place or mine?"

He laughed voraciously. "Yours. Esme is having some stuffy cocktail party with some of the hospital staff."

I was hoping he wouldn't say that. "That won't work. Emmett hooked up Rock Band this morning." That didn't seem to bemuse him at all. "He's threatening to make you drummer and me the singer. Would you subject me to that?"

Shaking his head furiously, his topaz eyes lit up with some scheme. "Don't worry—I've got an idea."

* * *

Usually, Edward loved speed. Motion. Whether it was racing through a clearing, driving his abnormally fast cars, or whatever—he loved progressing at a rapid pace. Usually slothfulness irritated him.

But perched up on a treetop, wrapped around me, looking up at the stars. That did not bother him one bit.

The night was silent, clear skies. Crickets chirped off quietly in the distance, a gentle breeze tousling his bronze hair delicately. We had returned from our hunting trip completely satisfied. Desperate for something to do, I suggested we sit outside. Stars were sprinkled all across the night sky, and it had been too long since I'd appreciated them.

Since we were together, Edward had nothing to complain about. For hours, we just sat. Sometimes we'd talk about something mundane, like movies or school or family. Sometimes we'd just say nothing. Relish the silence in each other's arms. The weather was absolutely breathtaking, and I was absolutely in heaven.

After a while, around three in the morning, he pulled his trusty white Ipod out of his jean pocket, trying to be discreet. As if I weren't watching.

"You brought your IPod?" My voice cracked from shock. He nodded earnestly, putting one headphone in his ear.

"Everybody needs a little night music." He said with a jagged grin. It sounded like I was offended—was I really that unexciting that he needed music as a source of entertainment. He clarified instantly. "I think perfect moments need a good soundtrack." The device lit up, providing soft glow in the darkness.

"What are you listening to?" I asked cautiously.

His eyes lit up, sparkling gold in the night. "Something kind of old."

As if that would discourage me. I snatched the other headphone before he could persuade me otherwise. He drew me closer, our bodies firmly pressed together. The piano and guitar melted perfectly together. This was the ideal soundtrack to perfection.

Edward's hand trailed along my arm absentmindedly, occasionally tapping along to the beat. Emmett and Rosalie's voices slowly obscured, leaving me serenity with my husband. My beautiful, perfect, sincere, loving husband.

He started humming along with the song, soft at first, growing louder as it progressed. Eventually it became a full out serenade.

"I can't do a love song like the way it's meant to be. I can't do everything, but I'd do anything for you." He smiled, stroking my hair gently. His voice moved from a lurid song to a soft whisper. "I can't do anything except be in love with you."

His singing stopped as he kissed me tenderly, not the frantic ones he enjoyed since my change. No, he was gentle—moving slowly, valuing each second, memorizing each taste. The song progressed, but he made no attempts to stop savoring to return to his singing.

Eventually, his lips moved to my cheek, along the base of my neck, his nose nestling my jaw line. He found a comfortable spot, resting his cheek parallel with mine. His soft breathing placated me, but I found my thoughts wandering. My pessimism crept up on me again like a dark cloud.

Rather than having him pick it up from my thoughts, I decided to start the conversation now.

"How much longer do you think this will last?" I asked timidly. He looked at me, utterly confused, seeking clarification. "This. Everything being so perfect. My luck is bound to run out one of these days. What are we going to do when everything..."

He stopped me right there. "Please don't worry." He clicked the music off, yanking the headphones, and replacing them in his pocket. "I promised that I wasn't going to let anything bad happen to you, and I won't." He sighed, the reality of things settling in his mind. "_If_ something happens, we'll deal with it then. But is there any massive crisis happening right now?"

I shook my head.

"Then let's not lose any sleep yet." He said sheepishly. I playfully slapped his shoulder, still causing almost no more damage than I had as a human. "Do you promise not to worry any more tonight, about any imminent threats pending, even if they are completely imagined?"

I sat silently, unable to speak.

"I have you all to myself." He kissed the bridge of my nose, still stroking my hair. "And I want to spend it with just you."

"Okay." I agreed. "No more depressing talk of crisis."

He grinned happily. My eyes wandered unintentionally towards my room.

Edward interpreted this as a desire to go indoors. "Do you want to go back inside?"

"No." I said wistfully, looking into his golden eyes again. "I like it out here."

He looked back up at the stars, still holding me close in his arms. "As you wish."

Even with Edward's longing for motion, neither of us budged for the rest of the night.

**Is Bella totally crazy? Is there something bad coming? Review and I'll post, and you will find out! (btw WOW! You all are amazing.)**


	11. Jeopardy

**Wow, you guys! One hundred reviews! Seriously, you have no idea how much this means to me! It also makes me want to stay up until 2:00 in the morning getting more chapters written. So, here it is!**

**Oh, and lemon-of-the-tent: I lied. The wart on the foot of society (actually, he's more like a cold sore on the lip of society) is back. :P**

**Chapter Eleven – Jeopardy**

Three weeks. It had passed by leisurely like all school years did, painfully uneventful. My restraint was gradually increasing, each day becoming slightly easier than the day it followed. My ease had amplified once Edward and I finally were able to act like a couple in school. Holding hands in the hallways. Passing notes, though they were hardly necessary. Getting rides from each other, spending every second together... It would hardly be appropriate for adoptive brother and sister to be doing this kind of thing—the true motive of our arrangement. What the general population didn't know (besides the obvious) was that we spent every minute outside of school together now.

Life was good.

It was Friday, and around lunch. I was talking to Alice about Emmett's unfortunate encounter with one of the members of the PTA when I felt someone tapping me on the shoulder.

I swung around as slowly as I could, to see Chris, my would-be suitor, staring at me.

I was so sure Emmett's show had frightened off young Chris off. Even our English class discussion had been excruciatingly awkward. But three week's time had given him more confidence, apparently. He took an open seat next to me without asking. Brave, but also very stupid.

"How come you're not eating?" He asked, skipping customary greetings, holding an unpeeled orange

I snatched it back. "I'm not very hungry."

Alice looked at me sharply, her thoughts suddenly very closely controlled. _Tell him you haven't been feeling well._

"I haven't...been feeling well." I stammered, following my order without question or understanding. Why would I...

_We've got a problem. Bella, Jasper and I are going to talk to Carlisle. Be careful about what you say around him. And please be careful._

Alice and Jasper both silently stood up, bringing their untouched trays with them. Alice nodded and shot me one last dark glance before she was enveloped in the hustle of the busy cafeteria.

Edward crept towards me, resting one hand on my shoulder. Chris flinched slightly, but his courage quickly returned.

"Yeah, I noticed you haven't really been eating much. Are you anorexic?"

Brave, intrepid, outspoken and stupid. I fought back laughter and shook my head.

"No, I honestly haven't been feeling well." I tried to make my voice seem casual, but I was still wondered what the problem seemed to be here. Edward gave me little clues, just ambiguous commands like Alice had.

_Start coughing_. He said, his expression so rigid and assured. He nodded once, visible to only me. I coughed convincingly, the only good acting job I had ever accomplished.

I returned to Chris, eager to say something. What? I couldn't tell. His thoughts were so well controlled, his mind was guarded with a steel barrier.

"So what's up, Chris?" Again with the fake casual. I was barely buying it, and Chris wanted to believe my nonchalance. But he just couldn't.

"Can I talk to you...?" He said softly, staring daggers in Edward's direction. "Alone?"

I immediately turned to Edward, seeking his approval. He nodded solemnly.

_I won't be far. Please be careful. Alice has seen something...and it's not good. Get him away from here, somewhere private._

"Want to go to the parking lot?" I offered, knowing full well the lot would be empty because of the heavy rain clouds. Chris stood first, and I walked with him at a safe distance.

_Nothing bad will happen to us. I promise. Keep coughing every once in a while, please._

Edward's gaze was confident, something my expression lacked entirely. Everyone around me—Edward, Chris, Alice, Jasper—all struggled to keep me out of their minds. What was going on?

* * *

The door slammed loudly behind us. Chris shuffled his hand through his shaggy blonde hair nervously, sauntering leisurely along the blacktop.

I waited quietly for him to begin speaking, afraid to start the conversation. If I was going to get asked out again, I'm glad I could do it in the seclusion without Edward and the others watching.

His expression changed from confidence to accusations. "Last night I was talking to my sister. She got married a couple years ago, she's living in Washington. Isn't that where you're from originally?"

"Before Alaska, when I was a kid. Yeah." I offered cautiously. My history had been loosely based on fact, and practically broadcast around the school.

"A little town called Forks?" He offered unintentionally. My whole body froze, stiff with worry. There was no chance he could randomly guess the small town I had met my husband and my new life in. There was no way he was that good.

His smirk trembled to a full grin. "She's married to a Quileute. I used to hear all these great campfire stories about werewolves and vampires."

Mentally, I was stuck on that word. All coherent thoughts evaded me—he had been in touch with Quileute blood, the only other person who was fully aware of our secret. The only one who would try to expose us...

It suddenly became obvious.

"I used to think it was a bunch of crap, stuff they made up to kill time." He smiled, so proud of his discovery. "But then I started noticing little stuff. Little things you wouldn't think to notice. Pale skin..." His hand brushed my arm, which I abruptly yanked away. That smug little smile grew. "You never eat in the cafeteria. All of you have the same gold eyes."

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. I repeated that mantra over and over, trying to convince myself that this was a nightmare. Or, at the very worst, a practical joke. Alice was right—this was very bad.

"I'm on to you, Bella Swan." His words quickly became venom. And then it hit me that he knew. It wasn't just a hunch, he _knew_. And that terrified me.

It was all over.

"Tell me it isn't true. Tell me I'm being crazy—you wouldn't be the first person to do it." I wasn't sure of how to react. Why had everybody thrown _me _to the wolves? I was the one with the least experience in interacting with humans as a vampire, and now I was being accused and attacked.

"You're crazy." I shot back, praying that for once I could get away with lying. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Chris smirked arrogantly. "Maybe I am crazy. But if you're lying...well, I've got a better idea." He pulled out his key ring, a small pocket knife resting on it, waiting. He flipped out the small blade, the metal shimmering in the dull light. With one quick motion, he made a small incision in his finger tip. Warm blood quickly flooded his finger, dripping bit by bit onto the blacktop. He seemed sickly satisfied by it, or maybe it was my misshapen expression.

My head spun. I now had a choice—I could give in to my weaknesses, or I could prove how strong I really was.

And then it happened, leaving me incomprehensible to all thoughts of my own.

**Dun dun duuun... I really wanted to try a cliffhanger, so leave your torches and pitchforks at home, please. Review please and I'll update quick like a bunny. :)**


	12. Kismet

**A/N: Holy cow, you guys! My inbox is slowly flooding, thanks to you! Please keep it up! I need something to do after work tonight. ;)**

**Chapter Twelve – Kismet**

Even as unattractive as his scent was normally, the dripping red mess on the floor tempted me greatly. It felt like I was being hypnotized, trapped outside of my own body. Each millisecond passed, brining more temptation than before.

Edward's booming thoughts shook me from the dizzying smell of Chris' blood.

_Pretend to pass out. Now._

I stopped for a second, desperately trying to remember what it had been like. Stupid human memories fading over time! The fate of our whole family was resting in my hands, and my lack of memory would betray us all.

I focused fiercely on one memory—that first time Edward had taken me running.

My head had spun out of control, similar to now. My knees became weak, so I began like that. They shook like jelly, though they were actually very rigid.

Chris' smile faded, as he looked at me concerned. "Bella?" He was skeptical.

Another memory emerged. Blood typing. Mike's bloody finger, just like Chris possessed right now. I closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to become visibly jagged. I brought myself closer to the ground, remembering gradually that woozy feeling.

"Edward?! I know...you're out here... I don't feel so good..." I called out, another part of the illusion. We weren't that far from school, and I needed him here immediately. Chris wanted to hold my arm, make sure I didn't fall. I evaded him easily.

"Get that finger away from me." I said, convincingly sounding as if nausea was wreaking havoc on me. Dutifully, he shoved his finger in his pocket. "I told you...I haven't been feeling well lately..."

I let my voice, and my body, drop to the ground.

Edward rushed towards us—at a human speed—continuing the false pretense. "Bella? What happened?"

"I don't know!" Chris shrieked, acting so innocent. "I think she wasn't feeling too good."

Edward rolled his eyes. "She has pneumonia, Chris. Did you know that?"

His spirits dropped. "I didn't."

"I'm taking her to the hospital. I've been trying to convince her to go for weeks now, but she's just...too stubborn."

He scooped me up in his arms, breezed past Chris, and took me to his car. Chris called out, saying that maybe we should get an ambulance. But thankfully, Edward just continued towards the car, ignoring him completely.

He drove away quickly, eyes locked on that tall shadow resting in the lot. I laid on the backseat discreetly until we were out on the main road. When we stopped at a red light, I quickly climbed over the dark leather seats and sat shotgun next to Edward.

"Damn it!" He threw his hands against the steering wheel, filled with anger. "Those damn dogs. I've got half the mind to pay them a visit."

"No!" I flushed with anger. "You can't break the treaty."

"What choice do I have?" His rage was heartbreaking. All I could do was sit, absolutely frozen. "It was probably Jacob, who couldn't wait to open his filthy, flea-ridden mouth."

"We don't know that for sure." I said, weak. My voice was hardly considered a whisper. "Why didn't you warn me? You said Alice saw this happening."

His face dropped, mortified. "She...saw Chris having suspicions. But as soon as he started talking to the dogs..."

Chris' future disappeared. I groaned, and pressed my forehead against the passenger's seat window. "This is my fault. I should've been paying more attention to him. If he was having suspicions, I should've heard..."

"Do not blame yourself." Each word was enunciated carefully with anger. "If anyone is at fault here, it's me."

We reached a stalemate—both of us refused to relinquish all liability.

"Are we going to the hospital? To see Carlisle, I mean." I asked, tapping a tense beat on the arm rest. Edward shook his head.

"He took a sick day when Alice told him what she knew. Just in case..."

"Something happened." I finished his sentence, complete and utter dread inundated me. I barely budged as Edward raced his car to his home. Everyone was waiting for us there, waiting to make a decision. A decision about what to do next.

* * *

"Why is this happening?" I asked, pacing nervously across the floor. The others assembled casually in the living room, sitting comfortably on crisp white sofas and barcaloungers. I was the only in motion.

Nobody said anything. The silence was agonizing.

"Pretty sure it didn't really help things when I scared the crap out of him." Emmett said with an unapologetic smile.

"It was absolutely chance, dear." Esme said, reaching out with her frail hand, grasping my wrist. She was always trying to console me, but today it was impracticable. "Even if he hadn't had a crush on you, he probably would've accused Alice or Jasper or Edward."

"Do I have the best luck or what?" I muttered under my breath. "The first school we go to, and I've pretty much exposed us all."

Edward sounded annoyed with my pessimism. "We don't know for sure. There was a lot of doubt in his mind."

"He called me Bella Swan!" I shot back crossly.

"It was a test. Whichever one of your werewolf friends tattled ended up slipping your last name." He said, beginning to pace in an opposite direction of me. "He thought that hearing your maiden name would make you slip up or confess."

More panic. Edward stopped my constant motion, looking me straight in the eyes.

"You didn't cave. He's still got hesitation to believe it." His tension soon broke, revealing a weak smile. "Your little act in the parking lot definitely tipped the scales in our favor."

In all this panic, I quickly forgot how confused I still was about that. "About that...Why was everybody telling me to fake coughing and passing out?"

Carlisle spoke up, remaining calm. "We'll need to stay low for a while. Pneumonia gives you a pliable excuse to miss several days of school."

I nodded. That made sense. "But what about..."

"Everybody takes vacations every once in a while." Carlisle grinned. "Esme's mother is quite ill, you see. She's taking the kids to visit her back in Alaska." It already sounded so rehearsed—of course, everything out of the Cullens' mouths sounded perfect.

"We'll have to lay low." Alice explained. "Until we can figure out what to do next about the wolves and Chris. I _can _see if we do stay in school, Chris will try and do something to expose us, only on a much larger scale."

I shuddered. His private...performance had been intolerable, but if he had an audience...

"A few days house arrest." I groaned, remembering how easily everyone had gotten cabin fever during my newborn years. "Instead of exposing ourselves, I'll just bore you all to death."

Jasper shook his head in disagreement. "We'll probably go hunting quite a bit, but far away—probably out of state, just to be safe. And only at night."

Edward seemed perfectly content with the situation. He looked at me playfully. _You know, there's quite a bit we can do indoors._

I must have giggled too loudly. Emmett sighed with disgust. "Seriously, you guys need to get a room or something."

Carlisle's pager rang loudly. "That's the hospital. I've got to get back." He glanced at both Edward and me. His eyes smoldered with irrepressible compassion.

_Everything is going to be alright, no matter what happens with Chris._

His sincerity rang with every word, and no matter how hard I fought to believe him, I couldn't absolutely trust that. My life had been in danger countless times before this, but now it wasn't just my life in jeopardy—the existences of everyone I loved dearly was at stake. And it felt like it was my fault, my awful luck our true liability. Everyone had managed to survive a few years in Forks without any hint of exposure, and within the first month at this new school, I had threatened to reveal our existence. There was no denying that it was all because of me.

Edward sensed how guilty I felt, and held my hand with such fervent intent. Even with my culpability, I knew with him by my side, I could get through anything. With my family, anything was manageable.

And I would need that reassurance now more than ever.

**Review please. In the next chapter you'll find out **_**who **_**is the mole of the werewolves. :D**


	13. Laying Low

**Chapter Thirteen – Laying Low**

It was our first full night "laying low", as Alice had so cleverly put it. Carlisle was picking up a shift at the hospital, no doubt spreading his false story of Esme's ill mother around the hospital. Emmett and Rosalie were back at their pretend home, enjoying some peace and quiet. They were the only two who could truly enjoy that right now.

Jasper, Alice, Esme, Edward and I were busy contemplating who had betrayed us—and how we would deal with it.

Edward's suggestion was something I'd expected to hear from Emmett. Go and attack the wolves. Retaliation was the only word that loitered in his mind. Thankfully, Jasper talked him out of it, saying it was ridiculous to think we could attack all the wolves without some casualties.

Jasper's idea was much simpler, and safer for both our lives and our lifestyles. Find out who told disclosed the truth, convince them to persuade Chris that the stories were made up, return to school when he was thoroughly convinced.

The only problem was finding Chris' brother-in-law. Or his sister, for that matter. The only information I had to go on was Chris's last name, Neville. Esme sat at the computer searching fruitlessly for any information.

Alice had suggested someone break into school, get Chris' file. Edward contemplated doing it, but me in my panicky state, persuaded him to stay. Jasper went reluctantly, claiming getting into the school wasn't going to be _easy_ this late at night.

After about an hour, Jasper crawled in through the window, holding a photocopied file in his hand. "Got it." He exclaimed proudly, rushing to our little assembly. "Wasn't that hard, really. If anybody needs any grades changed, let me know."

"Told you it wouldn't take much." Alice gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

He beamed proudly at his mate. "I'll never doubt you again."

Esme stayed on task. "Does it have anything about his sister or her husband in there?"

Jasper, full of remorse, shook his head. "All it says is he has a sister, five years older than him, named Emily." Great. A fairly generic name. Shouldn't be hard to track down an Emily married to a werewolf. I sighed with exasperation.

"I'll keep looking." Esme sighed, her voice void of optimism.

As she searched futily on the computer, I soon felt the searing gaze of the unoccupied Cullens on me. Alice and Jasper, even Edward with his compassion, all stared at me. I knew what they were saying without a word being uttered.

_You have to call him._

I shuddered at the thought. It had been ten years since I had heard Jacob's voice. And if Jacob had exposed the secret of our family, whether it was intentional or not, I doubted my control was great enough to deal with that reality.

"It's okay." Alice rushed to my side, running her hand along my back consolingly. "We're here for you--all of us." Both Edward and Jasper nodded solemnly in agreement.

She slipped the cell phone artfully into the palm of my hand, and I knew I had no choice in the matter. We needed to know who had told Chris, though all assumed it was Jacob. Then we would convince him to persuade Chris that the story was just that—a story. Sounded simple enough, yet it slightly terrified me.

I dialed the number, still commited to memory, with trembling hands.

It rang once. I hoped he'd changed his number.

It rang twice. I thought about hanging up. Alice stopped me before I could.

It rang a third time. I waited for the answering machine to pick it up.

"Hello?" His voice was rough but still very warm. Just as I'd remembered him. But the airiness of his tone made me realize how possible it really was he'd divulged every detail to that psychopath at school. It sparked a blazing inferno of rage inside me.

"You are a rotten scoundrel, you know that?" I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. No censorship. It felt nice. And it certainly caught Jasper and Edward off guard. They stared at me with wide-eyed surprise. I disregarded it entirely.

Jacob laughed. "Good to hear from you, Bella. It's been, what, ten years?"

"That doesn't matter. I can't believe you're still telling stories about vampires. I thought it was against the treaty, telling outsiders."

His tone became very serious. "I think we both know the treaty is more like guidelines than actual rules."

"Jacob, I cannot believe you! You told some lunatic everything about the vampires, and now he's convinced we're bloodsuckers."

He laughed again. "Why do you assume it was me?"

"Because it usually is." I muttered.

"I don't even know what you're talking about."

"Chris Neville. You married his sister. You told werewolf and vampire stories to him, maybe at the wedding, maybe some Christmas party, I don't know. Either way, he called one of you guys to get more specifics, and now he thinks he knows everything."

"Bella, calm down." He said in a cautious tone. "I don't even know _who _you're talking about. I'm not even married yet."

I took in a serrated breath. "What?"

"My wedding isn't for another..." He flipped through a piece of paper. A calendar, maybe? "Three weeks."

"But you...are...getting married?" I choked out those words.

More laughter on his end. "Yeah, you didn't think I was going to pine after you forever, did you?"

I laughed, mostly at myself. Maybe part of me _did_ think he'd be lonely and miserable forever. "I just want you happy, Jake."

The smile was obvious in his voice. "I'm happy now. It only took me ten years to realize I could live without you."

I sighed with relief, a relief I hadn't really felt in some time. "I'm glad, I guess."

"Hey, weren't you angry with me just a few minutes ago?" He asked suddenly, to my complete embarassment. I had been angry with him, and he'd basically persuaded me to be otherwise.

My rage quickly returned. Before I could begin another rant, Jacob interrupted.

"You shouldn't really jump to conclusions. I stopped telling those stories a long, long time ago." He stated, so sincerely I couldn't refute it. "And I honestly have no idea who this guy is. Sorry. But it was, uh, nice to talk to you." Without another word, he hung up the phone with a resonating crack. I kept the cell up to my ear up until...

"Oh God..." Alice and Esme murmured simultaneously, their hands over their mouths. I hung up the phone abruptly. Edward, Jasper and I all rushed to their sides.

"Did you find them?" I asked, afraid of the answer. Alice began pacing, full of panic. I looked to Esme for the answer.

"Yes." She said softly, filled with that same dread that Alice possessed. "Emily..."

Her voice faded out, as she pointed to a copy of the marriage license on the computer screen. Emily Neville's name rested on the top, and right below it her husband's name. I read it once, and I refused to believe it. No wonder Alice and Esme had been so stunned when they realized who it was. I shut my eyes, but that name lingered in my mind, so menacing.

Seth Clearwater.

Our friendship was unexpected, but I would never imagine that Seth would betray us like this. Chris first heard the stories at some gathering, but evidently called for further information. And since Seth was his only link to the werewolf pack, it was obvious that he was the source. The traitor.

I refused to believe it. "No, that's...not possible."

Jasper tried to reason with me. "Bella, we have to consider..."

"No!" I exclaimed. "You're wrong!"

"It's the only logical explination." Jasper rationalized.

"No it's not." Edward agreed, barely moving. Deep in thought, we all waited for his response. Silent torture, that's what it was. Finally, his eyes lit up with relief. "It wasn't Seth. Think about it! Who always held a grudge against Bella? One of the wolves, with a connection to Seth."

The light bulb above my head illuminated. "Leah."

"Exactly." Edward stated. "Now, we're not going to be able to convince that spiteful dog to persuade Chris, but maybe...we can convince her brother."

I still had the cell phone in hand, dialing another number I could still remember. It was still silently nervewracking to call, only this time it was more about desperation than anger.

"Seth." My voice quavered. "It's Bella."

"Bella?" He exclaimed, a mixture of surprise and delight swirled in his voice. "It's been a while! How've you been?"

"Not good." I admitted. "I think we've got a problem..."

I explained the situation to a very understanding Seth. He listened carefully, adding an occasional uh-huh or uh-oh. At the end, he seemed just as upset over the whole situation as we all were.

"Don't even worry about it—I'll take care of it." Seth said so casually.

"You will?" I tried not to let my hopes raise too high. "You'd do that for us?"

"Leah shouldn't have opened her mouth in the first place. She's probably just trying to get back at me somehow." He laughed wryly. "Besides, we don't need another battle on our hands. If I don't fix this, I have a feeling Edward or even Emmett isn't going to let us get away with it."

I laughed, my voice shaking with undeniable relief. Seth would set the record straight, I just knew it.

As we said our goodbyes, Edward held my hand, that same indubitable reprieve smoldering in his eyes. "Thank you Seth. Sincerely."

I hung up the phone, and Edward immediately scooped me up in his arms in celebration. He twirled me around, the euphoric feeling too strong to ignore. I merely caved into it, allowing the rapture to engulf me as he spun me around.

Setting me on the ground, he kissed my forehead tenderly. "I told you everything would be alright."

I took a deep breath and accepted that maybe, for once, things would be alright.

And then the phone rang.

My first instinct was to panic. "Too good to be true" came to mind. I answered it with extreme suspicion. "Hello?" My voice cracked with fear.

"Bella!" It was Emmett. I sighed with relief. "Get over here. I'm bored."

I rolled my eyes. All panic evaporated. "You said you wanted the house to yourself."

"I know..." He whined. "It's just...Rose's in a bad mood, with all this exposure drama that's going on. I don't really want to be alone with her right now."

Rosalie scowled angrily in the background. Emmett instantly regretted his choice of words.

"Seriously, please come over." He pleaded, now afraid.

"Reinforcements are coming." I sighed. "But I'm picking what we're doing."

"Whatever you want! Just get over here!" He snapped the phone shut.

Alice had already gotten her shoes on, "We're off to your house, Bella." Jasper was swiftly at her side, ready to leave.

"Esme?" I asked, holding Edward's hand dutifully. It seemed unfair for us all to take off, leaving her all alone.

She shook her head. "You kids go have fun. I'm just going to wait here for Carlisle to come home." Her explination made sense. We accepted it with a smile, and without another word, we flew off into the night for the short run to "my" house. Even though I knew the danger of exposure was behind us thanks to Seth, the werewolves lingered in my thoughts for a while.

I just had the strangest, unshakeable feeling it wouldn't be the last time I'd be hearing from my past.

**Hopefully I handled the Jacob conversation well. You all had some awesome ideas, but I decided to go with this one. Speaking of awesome, ****you guys are SERIOUSLY amazing!! Thank you so much for all the reviews/alerts/favorites/etc. The next chapters coming up are going to be a little happier than all this drama. So... please review!!**


	14. Means

**Update: I'm just re-posting this because for some odd reason email alerts weren't working after the first time. I'm not sure if it was just my email or what. Anyways, its the same. Sorry for everybody who already reviewed.**

**Insert standard disclaimer here. I own nothing. D:**

**Chapter Fourteen – Means**

"Two aces." Edward slapped down two ragged cards, reluctant to let any of his thoughts enter my mind. Alice had reluctantly agreed to remain a spectator in this game. This game had left Emmett less bored for the fifteen minutes we'd been playing, and Edward didn't want to end it now.

Emmett looked over his cards with shifting eyes, as if this were much more exciting game than just ordinary BS. They darted from me, to Edward, and back to the cards again. He slapped three down, and before the words could escape his bumbling lips, I interjected.

"Bull."

He looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "But I haven't even..."

"Don't care. You're lying. Or you will be."

We glowered at each other. I refused to budge. Right now, I could afford the right to be confident. If I hadn't been able to see his cards in his mind, the deceit was palpable in Emmett's whole expression.

Emmett hated the idea of losing.

"This is...She's like a human lie detector! I'm not playing these games with you anymore." Emmett slammed his cards down, refusing to accept the collection of cards waiting in the middle for him. Jasper and I exchanged covert glances, enjoying this interchange. Emmett stormed off, like a huffy teenage girl. He called out from another room. "I liked you better when you fell down all the time."

"Don't be such a sore loser, Emmett!" Alice exclaimed through her giggling. "It was your idea to play!"

He returned to the room, a sour expression on his face. "Only because nobody else came up with something better to do."

"I said we should play monopoly." I defended myself stoically.

"I suggested we stay at our house. Entertain ourselves." Jasper exclaimed. Edward and Alice both appeared ready to jump in, but Emmett shot down their defense quickly.

"All lame ideas."

Before anyone else chimed in, I raced up to my room, a fantastic idea lingering in my mind. Over the ten years, my movie collection flourished. And after all the calamities of the past two days, I needed to unwind. We all needed to unwind. This seemed like an appropriate activity for such a thing.

With a mischievous grin and three movies in hand, I raced back to the room.

I flashed them the three selections, my idea quite apparent. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Edward all seemed interested in a calm evening, watching movies. Only Emmett seemed to be disappointed.

"But it's watching _movies_!"

I sighed. Emmett was growing more and more childlike as the night progressed. "What do you suggest we do?"

"I've got a great idea of what we could do..." Emmett said, abruptly and playfully pulling Edward into a headlock. Emmett was lusting after action, excitement. Stuck under Emmett's arm, Edward's face remained still and contrite.

"What's that? Murder Edward?" He said composedly. He peeled Emmett's muscular arm away from his neck with little exertion. Emmett laughed jokingly, knowing full well that Edward was aware of his plans.

I was feeling the same way. "No way. Nothing violent or rambunctious. We have been through too much stress these past few days." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward's hand twitch towards me. Happiness crept up on me, even with the potential touch. "Three movies, that's all I ask." Six hours wasn't the same anymore. All six of us had acquired the patience having a six hour movie marathon required.

"We'll vote." Emmett interrupted my thoughts, so confident that things would end up his way. "Who wants to do Bella's stupid little movie night?"

Everybody raised their hand immediately, except for Emmett, who stood silently. If it were possible for him, his cheeks would've burnt with embarrassment. He wouldn't handle this defeat well at all.

We all rushed towards the living room, easily assembling like we had been rehearsing for years. Jasper and Alice sat on the floor, backs pressed against the couch's front, fitting together in each others' arms like a perfectly fit puzzle. Rosalie and Edward waited on opposite ends of the couch, impatiently waiting for their most significant other.

With complete and utter annoyance, Emmett rolled his eyes and took Rosalie onto his lap. He could hardly complain with Rosalie's sudden affectionate pecking.

I slipped the first movie in the player, and flipped the light switches off. The room flooded with only the blue glow of the first film's menu. I pressed play and quickly snuggled into my nook in Edward's arms.

"Edward Scissorhands?" Edward asked, confusion buried near the surface of his voice.

I pressed my lips against his frantically, silencing him instantly. "Just watch the movie."

* * *

By halfway through the movie, all the pleas and arguing had died down. Apparently I was the only one who had seen this particular Tim Burton film, and everyone was oddly captivated by it. Even Emmett, who was vehemently against chick flicks, was strangely engrossed by the plight of outsider Edward.

The movie was only enhanced by my perfect husband, constantly nuzzling my ear, running his hands along my side, pressing his chest against my back. His unremitting presence distracted me slightly, but in a very good way.

As the credits rolled, everyone's vivacity died down. It was the calmness that I desired.

When I put in the second DVD, both Emmett and Edward sat up and complained.

"No way. I am not watching The Holiday." Emmett's disapproval was the loudest.

"It's not even December." Edward muttered. Childishly, I stuck out my tongue at him and put the DVD in none the less. I had the support of Alice and Rosalie, who both enjoyed the movie as well, on this one.

"Come on..." I pleaded, jumping back in Edward's lap. I touched his face delicately, my eyes soft and pleading. Slowly, I thrust my lips on his eager lips. Each millisecond spent kissing him persuaded him even more. "Please? For me?" I whispered as I broke away strategically.

Looking deep into my eyes, that lustful feeling settling at the core of his chest, he sighed. "Guess we're watching this movie."

With Jasper's indifference and my persuasion of Edward, Emmett had no backup. All he could do was take solace in Rosalie's arms as the movie began.

* * *

By the time the second movie was over, Alice, Rosalie and I had become even more lax about showing affections. Our frozen hearts melted at the sappiness of the romantic movie we had just seen. And for the benefit of our husbands, we all manifested that adoration physically. The film had become background noise, essentially.

I had to break away from Edward's toe-curling kiss to slip in the last movie in our marathon. They had promised me three movies, and I was going to cash in on that.

Emmett looked at me, silently pleading. He wanted car chases, violence, action. Clearly he was not picking up on the connection here.

I shot him a glance that crushed all hope for carnage He said nothing after that.

"Legally Blonde!" Alice clapped, sounding suspiciously ditzy. We all looked at her, interested at her girliness. "What? I like this movie. Haven't you heard of guilty pleasures?"

I rolled my eyes. The infectious opening credits began, though Alice and I were really the only ones paying close attention to the movie.

* * *

With about twenty minutes left, Rosalie suddenly burst into laughter. So caught off guard with her amusement, I paused the movie to see what was the cause.

"I figured it out. What the connection is between the three movies." She said between fits of giggling. "I can't believe it took me this long."

Jasper and Alice joined in her laughter—Alice had figured it out before I even knew what movies to pick. Jasper had guessed by the end of The Holiday. Edward knew the connection as soon as Edward Scissorhands had started.

Only Emmett seemed to be left in the dark. "What is it?" Rosalie refused to divulge, and I resumed the movie. "Seriously, Rose. What is it?"

Despite his constant pleas, she rolled her eyes, and proceeded to watch the last twenty minutes of the movie. Emmett sat in confusion for the rest of the night.

Emmett and Rosalie were the first to leave the room. She had been anxious all night to get him alone, and promised as they left that she had something that they could do that would, "occupy his time". Edward blared one of his latest musical discoveries, distracting us slightly from their raucous pursuits.

As the night progressed, my previous feeling of serenity was replaced by anxiety. Alice would not be able to see the outcome of Seth's conversation with Chris until we were back in school. That vulnerability terrified me. Things that once seemed so optimistic quickly seemed bleak.

Edward noticed my unease quickly. "May I have a moment alone with you, Mrs. Cullen?" He whispered in my ear sweetly. His voice was so alluring, there was no possible way for me to refuse.

I led him up the stairs to my room, in gross anticipation for what was coming.

His hands explored my waist, lustful and not very subtle about it. But his cautious sincerity led him to ask, "Are you alright?"

I bit my bottom lip. "I guess."

He stopped abruptly. "You know things are going to be alright, don't you?"

If I was going to be honest... "What if Seth can't convince..."

He put one finger on my swiftly moving lips. "I refuse to let you stand here and agonize so deeply." Swiftly, a mischievous smirk lit up his exasperated face. "And I have got just the means for distraction. Are you feeling up for it?"

With a swift and unrepentant kiss, I knew he most definitely had the means of entertaining me. I decided with absolute certainty that would be would be, when it came to our issues. If Seth was unable to convince Chris, then we would all deal with that together. But right now, I had the most perfect husband in my arms, and a room for ourselves.

For the rest of the night, I was both distracted and amused. And I did not worry about what would happen next.

**This chapter was really difficult for me to write. I don't know why—it just...was. So I'm sorry if it wasn't as good as the others. I'm just trying really hard. :P Nobody's perfect.**

**And I have a contest! The first person who can guess the connection between the three movies (Edward Scissorhands, The Holiday, and Legally Blonde) wins a prize. Seriously. :D**

**But review either way!**


	15. Neutral

**Ugh. Sorry it took me so long to post this! I have a myriad of great excuses (including: FINALLY starting to read The Host, lost flash drives, best friends' homecomings, bad sectors on computers whatever that means, crippling writer's block, and an outlandish amount of hours put in at my job) Needless to say, I've had little time to write. Sorry. :( But I finally got this chapter done! So here it is!**

**Chapter Fifteen – Neutral**

Three days. That was how long my extended weekend had lasted. And for the first time in these murky halls, I could breathe easily. Seth had called with the best news we could hope for: he had seemingly persuaded Chris that the stories of vampires were fabricated. There was still a chance that Chris was not convinced, but it was slim. Alice had led me to believe there was no hope for that cynicism.

Call me crazy, but I wanted an apology. The human instincts were clearly kicking in here—he had nearly ruined mine and the reputations of everyone I loved dearly. I wanted to see a little sympathy from the kid.

I was walking down the hall, where Edward was waiting for me dutifully. He was within sight, that perfect face causing my enthusiasm to seethe. My angel was within reach when I heard Chris' raucous shouting.

"Bella! Wait!" He called, right on time. With hurried eagerness he rushed through the conglomerates of teenage girls. "How are you feeling?" He asked with concern—a good sign. He'd bought the pneumonia excuse that had caused my three day absence.

Even with his "concern", my annoyance increased tenfold. I made no effort to stop walking. It seemed like something an upset teenage girl would do.

"What do you want, Chris?" My voice was convincingly scornful.

"Look." He grabbed my wrist, and I had to fight every urge to punch him right in the face. Instead, I shot him a very cross look. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I talked to my brother-in-law while you were gone. Turns out his sister is a compulsive liar, with an addiction to making up stories. I guess she's getting help for it. Either way, I was wrong about you. And I'm sorry."

"You...accuse me of being a _vampire_ and all you have to say is you're _sorry_?" From the contorted expression on his face, my words were stinging like acid. "Chris, there's absolutely no excuse for what you did."

"Would it help my case if I just said I was jealous that you didn't like me?"

I shook my head, deciding that I needed to crush all hope here. I held no desire of ever talking to this lunatic ever again. "You need serious help, Chris. Just...stay away from me."

I strutted the four feet to Edward's locker confidently, fully aware of Chris' forlorn stare. From the way his thoughts sounded, I would not have to deal with his nuisance anymore. Humiliation didn't suit him. His threat was now neutralized, and the only thing I wanted to focus on was that crooked smile, those liquid topaz eyes.

Edward was very amused by my brief show.

_How did that feel?_

He raised one eyebrow, resting his arm on my shoulder. On our way, he kicked his locker shut. We walked casually along the hall, absolutely free. Giddy with romance and freedom.

I looked at him, the most unbelievable feeling coursing throughout my body.

_It felt absolutely amazing._

* * *

Alice clapped joyfully when we finally got to art class. "We have to celebrate."

I got sudden flashes of what Alice's idea of celebrating was. Shopping trips. Girly expeditions that would ostracize Edward completely if he were foolish of him to join us. The notion nauseated me immensely and I decided to continue

"Not tonight." I whimpered, tightening my grip on Edward's firm hand. "I wanted to spend some time with Edward...alone."

Alice rolled her eyes, a clear indicator of how frustrated she was with me. "That's all you ever want to do anymore. Spend time with Edward."

That baffled me. "Since we've moved here I've barely had any time to him for myself!" My voice cracked with that statement.

She was quick to dispute that. "What if _everybody _went? I am fully capable of entertaining both my brother and my sister."

I scoffed. "The only person that would be entertained by a shopping trip would be you, Alice." I turned my head to face Edward, searching desperately for backup. I longed for nothing more than spending the evening in Edward's arms, something an evening with Alice would deny me. But Edward's indifference was staggering. "Right, Edward?"

"Don't look at me." Edward muttered defensively. "I'm the neutral party here."

"Please?" She begged frenziedly, her voice reaching that high-pitched whine I was used to. Her bottom lip stuck out, that sad puppy dog look on her face painfully apparent. She knew I would not refuse.

I rolled my eyes, resigning myself to her mercy. With gleeful celebration, she spent the next twenty minutes silently planning my supposed celebration. A feeling of dread loitered over my head like a black cloud of doom.

I turned my frustrations on Edward, who could have so easily spared us all from Alice's plots. _Neutral? _My tone was condemning.

He merely shrugged, that perfectly innocent grin on his face. _At least she's offering to entertain us all._

_Easy for you to say._ I slouched back in my chair, my arms crossing my chest sulkily. _You're not the one who has to try on designer clothes against your own free-will._

His eyes smoldered with pity, for both my irritation and my fate. It was hardly the evening alone we had both planned diligently.

He picked up easily how much I needed comfort. I rested my cheek against his shoulder, and he promptly settled me into my usual niche there. Every once and a while, he'd kiss the top of my head, or stroke my hair sympathetically. It didn't matter that I was desperately behind on my drawing now, because of this extreme procrastination. No doubt my vampire speed would accommodate that impediment later...

Two days later, on the verge of the assignment's deadline, I was regretting that assumption.

"Ugh!" I slammed the charcoal stick in frustration, crumbling it into countless pieces. Both Alice and Edward eyed my annoyance with both amusement and curiosity. To continue venting my aggravation with drawing (a class I most definitely did not sign up for) I crumpled up the horrible excuse for a sketch and threw it to the ground.

Alice and Edward's amusement certainly peaked by then.

"That was a perfectly adequate drawing." Edward asked playfully as I threw my arms across my chest and pouted. "Is something wrong?"

"Why did I sign up for this class? I suck at art." I sulked.

"Because we didn't have any classes together and I missed you." Alice spoke up, her eyes returning to her drawing. No doubt just as perfect as everything she touched. "Don't have such a freak out. You just have to draw a hand holding something."

"Easier said than done."

"Let me help you." He approached cautiously, his hand brushing mine tenderly. He placed one peach colored pastel in my trembling hand, a charming grin on his lips. I had no choice but to trust him steadfastly.

With his guidance, I stroked smoothly along the white paper. Each brushstroke became easier, and his assistance became more permissive. Time seemed to smear like the peach pastel and after several minutes of sketching, Edward switched the crayon for a white colored one. His thoughts and his gentle hand guided me, and before I could process another thought, he let my hand go.

Apparently, we were done.

And the results surprised me. It was far from perfect, but it certainly was better than I dreamed I was capable of. In the middle of a pale peach hand rested a heart-shaped diamond, the one resting on my bracelet. My breath hitched momentarily as I glanced at his sinuous golden eyes.

"It's the neutral colors. They compliment each other much better, don't you think." He whispered into my ear, his lips lingering along my earlobe. "You most definitely do not suck."

I examined him carefully, wondering if that was a double entendre or not.

"At least, not at art." He said devilishly. I smacked his arm playfully, fits of giggles ripping through me comfortably. His penance was a cursory kiss, the kind that did not last nearly as long as I'd like.

Alice cleared her throat just before Edward broke away from me.

"Sorry." He apologized, flashing a repentant grin.

"It's hardly appropriate for the two of you to be doing that kind of thing in class." Alice said, only slightly irritated by our brief affectionate display.

In protest, he placed another mystifying kiss, this enduring at a much more gratifying length. His lips were even as they moved gracefully with mine. His hands trailed through my hair, using the back of my skull as a grip on me. The only reason he broke away was thanks to a teacher wandering dangerously close to our detached group.

He looked to Alice for something. Maybe judgment, maybe approval. I couldn't tell. Edward's smugness was overshadowed by Alice's subtle irritation with our ostentation.

"Show off." She muttered under her breath, her grin not even capable of matching mine in pure satisfaction.

**Thanks to everybody who guessed the connection in the last chapter. The winner is **BellaxMariexCullen**, because she got it right first. The title character of the first movie is _Edward_, the character Kate Winslet is in love with in The Holiday is _Jasper _and Elle Woods ends up falling in love with _Emmett_ :P**

**Please review!**


	16. Organization

**Chapter Sixteen – Organization**

As I stood in the gym, holding Edward's hand, observing the dizzying array of displays, I tried desperately to remember whose idea this was to be here in the first place.

Oh yeah. It was Edward's.

The student council was holding some spectacle, displaying the finer points of extracurricular activities. Their display was the flashiest, and obviously drew the biggest crowd. Gobs of credulous teens gobbled up every story of the glories of student government.

Naturally, Edward and I stood as far away from the tantalizingly sweet crowd, opting for the more private archery club. For the majority of the period, I'd had a disgusted scowl permanently attached to my face. And learning the different types of bows definitely increased the creases of annoyance in my face.

Ten years had not completely erased _one _human trait. My clumsiness had faded slightly, like blue jeans going from dark to kind of dark. I had no intention of ever picking up a dangerous weapon and exposing the school to my inelegance. Before I could be persuaded otherwise, I walked away wordlessly.

Edward, following me diligently, seemed shocked by my lack of plans. His lips ducked towards my ear, the softest and most pleasant whisper imaginable. "You don't want to get involved with any of these clubs?"

I strode away from the exhibits, with the hopes of returning to Photo unharmed. _You are the only thing I care to get involved with. _He could deal with that as he wanted.

_What about colleges? _His sarcasm was eye-rollingly dreadful. If he hadn't been so excruciatingly perfect, I would've walked away. But his hold on me was indestructible. _I know this is painfully boring, but we've got..._

_Appearances to keep up_. We both thought simultaneously. My new and ever-present mantra. I heaved a melodramatic sigh, and allowed him to guide me around the bustling gymnasium.

The next stop on our excursion was Mock Trial. Edward sporadically contemplated Law as his next college experience, but indecision was beginning to plague him. His only stipulation was that I be wherever he was.

"Want to check it out?" I foolishly pointed to the display as we walked past it.

We stood silently, examining the standard display. Cardboard exhibit, a cut-and-paste collage of the highlights of this particular organization. But perhaps the far more interesting entity was happening behind the table. Two students, one blonde female with thick rimmed glasses, and a black haired boy with a face filled with pimples, debated heatedly. Part of me wanted to believe that this dispute was rehearsed, an example of what they do in Mock Trial. But these kids hardly seemed that cunning.

I was perfectly okay with standing silently, unnoticed. Maybe without the attention of some club president, Edward would let us slink away disregarded.

My plan was foiled. The blonde girl jumped to her feet at once, after the red-faced boy stopped yelling and pointed in our direction.

"Sorry." The girl blushed, realizing we were standing there. Bad enough that it was perfect Edward waiting, the teen was oddly anxious in _my _presence. It felt weird knowing how much I now intimidated people, especially girls. Jealousy really ran rampant among human girls, I'd discovered. I had yet to figure out why they were jealous of me, besides the obvious—my flawless husband, constantly in my orbit.

She pushed a strand of nearly white blonde hair behind her hair nervously, desperately trying to get her nerves in check. "We were just discussing some politics."

The boy looked unrepentant. "I'm not going to apologize for supporting the Green party."

"You should. You'll probably end up scaring away all the potential members." She stated boldly, quickly turning her attention to Edward and I. She shook our hands diligently, and I could definitely see a career in Politics for her. "I'm Beth Weber, president of Mock Trial here. Do you have any questions?"

_...so cute. Bet he's real smart, too. Great addition to the team, I bet._

The president was far more concerned at the eye candy aspect Edward would add, than his actual intelligence. Mr. Green Party was thinking along the same longs, only Edward was the furthest thing from his mind...

Stifling laughter, Edward and I looked at her one last time, then looked at each other.

"Nope."

"Not really."

Neither of us looked away when we answered. We could hear the sharp exhale of warm breath, the sweet smell swirling around me and slowly disintegrating. My strength was stronger today than I foresaw.

"Alright, well let me know if you do." Her voice dropped with defeat. She began another argument with her green party counterpart, only half of her heart in the dialogue.

_Really thought I'd get somebody...hopeless, I guess... no one wants..._

Pity. It came off in slabs as Edward looked at me with those pleading eyes. The kind of look that was impossible to deny. _Come on. The poor girl..._

Not this one. I didn't want to lose this fight. _I'm not as smart as you. _

He was shaking his head, completely opposed to that logic. He was far more confident that I was smart enough, and exceedingly affected by poor Beth. His hands formed a fist. _Just this one, please. _Absolutely sincere—every word he uttered in his thoughts dripped with it. He only wanted one—that much was obvious. For him, victory on this matter was within close range.

I closed my eyes, unwilling to watch my defeat.

"Actually, Beth...?" Her ears perked up like a dog when she heard his melodic voice call her name. The syllable sounded like genuine music. "Bella and I are thinking about joining. When are your meetings?"

"Tuesdays." She choked out the words, her mind flooding with giddy anticipation.

Edward nodded, his lips sticking out beautifully. His eyes shimmered with enthusiasm, something I tried to mirror futilely. I subtly hauled Edward by the wrist before he could promise anymore to the Mock Trial recruiters.

"See you there." Green party boy shouted as we started to walk away. He was only mildly interested in the recruitment now that he had his arguing partner back.

When we were out of range, I shot Edward the most threatening glance possible. _I hate you._

He kept a safe distance. _It's just one meeting. We'll go, try it out, and if it doesn't work... One meeting, that's all I ask. _It was so hard to be angry with him when he used solid rationale like this. Not to mention the fact that I would never let him go somewhere without me.

_You don't hate me._ He added with a fusion of sarcasm and smugness.

_No. I don't. _I shot him a menacing glare. _Make me sign up for another club, though..._

My point was well received. _Alright, love. _He gave me a peck on the cheek. It placated me for now.

"Want to hang out tonight? Your place?" I suggested, passing a gaggle of girls. Vignettes of romances, starring the cute Cullen boys, swirled through their vacant minds. Happiness devoured me—mostly because I wasn't fantasizing about holding his hand, I actually could do it. Anytime I wanted.

"Sounds good." He smiled, and in all my distraction of the jealous girls, I hadn't noticed the scheming look in his eyes. As he laughed warmly, he refused to let me in on the humor or the plot.

"What?" It was so hard to not smile when he seemed to amused, even if I was facing an unpleasant evening.

He shrugged, always so angelic. "Nothing. I've just got something in mind that we could do."

His angelic demeanor quickly turned devious. I liked the sound of that.

* * *

"Tell me again...how did I get roped into doing this?"

For the second time in one day, I was asking myself that question.

When I had rode shotgun in Edward's Volvo to Carlisle's house, I was ecstatic. Alice and Jasper were off on a date, Carlisle working, Esme conspiculously visiting with Emmett and Rosalie... I was practically salivating at the idea of being completely alone

When he told me that Carlisle got the day off, Esme had gotten home early, and that we'd be organizing his immeasurable CD collection, I was...dissatisfied.

In response to my verbal complain, he kissed my hand tenderly, his gaze lingering amorously. "You said you wanted to spend time with me here." Then he promptly returned back to his work. Indomitable. "And this needs to be done."

"I had no idea you were so fastidious with your CD collection."

He chuckled warmly. "I have to be. If you lived with the others for as long as I have, you would know that they are not as particular about keeping my things in order."

"Mass chaos in the music room." I said with fake horror.

Edward's eyes quickly darted from my gaze and back to his stack of discs. "This won't take all night, love. We'll do something more... audacious...later."

Even with that anticipation for what 'later' brought, I still felt useless. Edward was moving around, organizing. And I was just sitting, watching.

Just as soon as the thought entered my head, Edward was by my side. In his hands, a stack of jewel cases rested comfortably.

"You can go through these if you want." He said. "They're just some compilations I've thrown together." Mix CDs. Edward had made countless of them for me, that now rested comfortably in my room. His perfectly scrawled handwriting was on each shimmering disc, each one with a specific theme.

I felt comfortable arranging these.

Each of my presents had names, titles. All very creative, just like him. It utterly amazed me that his only bore numbers and dates. This was something I planned on investigating.

"You date your mix CDs?"

He looked at me as if the notion were commonplace. "Yes. Important dates need to be recognized and chronicled. I do it through music. Think of it like soundtracks to every significant day."

I rolled my eyes, continuing to rearrange the discs, in chronological order as Edward had silently requested. I was shuffling through them when one date caught my eye. His flawless scribbles on the dark red disc read a familiar day.

It was the day before he first admitted he loved me.

Curiosity devoured me. Without a word to him, I wandered towards his sound system, determined to find out what the contents of that "important day" were to him. No doubt an exceptional mixture of either original compositions or his usual independent artists.

He stepped between me and the speakers, a stern look of disapproval on his face. "Not that one. Why don't you play this one instead?"

A silver disc, dated about the time of our wedding. Normally I would've been mollified, but inquisitiveness pulsated in the pit of my chest. There had to be a reason he didn't want me to listen to that particular mix.

I stepped forward, fighting with all my strength, to get my answers.

"Please, Bella, I am begging you..." He fought to get the disc away from me, but I held my own. I pressed play, against his wishes.

The first track was neither original or indepdently made. It was sappy and sweet, and obviously very old. Probably late sixties, not that I was an expert. And its bubblegum sound was matched perfectly by sugary romantic lyrics.

Yet it was absolutely beautiful. It made sense this was on his soundtrack for that "crucial" day. It felt, well, human.

Edward's abrupt embarrassment was staggering. Why would he be so ashamed of this? More importantly, why would he struggle to hide this particular mix from me? It was an issue I refused to drop, even as the next song began.

"Why?" I stated, very thorough in my investigations. He knew exactly what I meant.

Nervously, he kicked his feet about and averted his gaze. "It's very idiotic."

"I doubt that."

He took a deep breath, something that helped his confidence slightly. "I made this...particular mix...because..." He faltered again, "They were all cheesy and romantic." His eyes, scorching gold, finally revisited my line of vision. "And they all expressed how I really felt about you. Much better than any of my compositions did at first. Listening to them, as ridiculous as it sounds, made me feel more...relatable to you."

If I was still human, I would've blushed violently at that. Instead, my stomach tightened and embarrassment inundated me. "That's _definitely_ not idiotic."

He smiled. A most relieving smile. "The next song's my favorite."

His plans of something more adventurous were promptly thrown into overdrive. The organization of his music would just have to wait.

**If I get at least eleven reviews by Monday, I'll post the entire mix, and the next chapter. (Why eleven? Watch Spinal Tap)**

**Thanks for all the story alerts/reviews/favorites... I appreciate them ALL. :D And I'm trying really REEALLY hard to get this story done quickly, but my life keeps interceeding. :P Anyways, i'm trying.**


	17. Parent Teacher Conferences

**Wow, thank you everybody! I got 11+ reviews, so here's your chapter. And the beginning of the mix is on my profile--complete with youtube links!**

**Warning: I do use one dirty word in this chapter. But you can just convince yourself it says donkey if you need to.**

**And I still own nothing.**

**Chapter Seventeen – Parent/Teacher Conferences**

Emmett didn't bother looking up from his current game of choice, Guitar Hero. He merely continued the conversation while strumming gracefully through Free Bird. "Do I have to wear a tie?"

"No." I said promptly.

"Yes." Rosalie quickly corrected me. Emmett frowned. "Relax, all we've got to do is sit with a bunch of Bella's teachers, let them rant and rave for five minutes each, and then we're done."

"But why do I have to wear a tie?" He complained while managing to hit every note flawlessly. "Besides, can't you just go?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes—she was unquestionably getting into her role as my guardian, and wanted to "provide a united front" as she phrased it. She wrapped one hand along his neck, and suddenly Emmett was missing quite a few of the notes. Her voice dropped to a low whisper, hoping I wouldn't hear her, though she knew the unlikelihood. "Forget the tie. If you go, we'll do that thing we've been talking about for a while."

I had no desire to know what _thing _my brother and sister had been talking about doing. But evidently it was so tantalizing, that Emmett jumped up and tripped over himself to get ready. Rosalie smiled at me, quite satisfied with her negotiations.

"Don't worry—we'll wait until you and Edward are out of the house." She winked at me, grabbing her purse, and walked towards the car.

I shuddered. That was way too much information.

* * *

Things were going well. Uncharacteristically well. The first four teachers we had gone to had generic compliments for me, probably because they hadn't memorized faces quite yet. Things were going well.

And then we approached my photography teacher. This was the one I had been theoretically fretting the most.

Edward was a complete distraction in that class. His partiality to the darkness of the darkroom often left me dancing on deadlines. My work was admittedly average by the teacher's standards. But I was proud of the work I was producing, and that should've been all that mattered. My grade did not reflect that attitude, nor did Mrs. Shannon.

I watched her carefully, like a predator stalks his enemy, as Emmett and Rosalie sat themselves. Rosalie braced herself for another barrage of compliments, even though they rarely were about her "parenting skills." Emmett vigilantly counted down the minutes until we would be back home. He was as uncomfortable tonight as I was.

Mrs. Shannon shook their hands grudgingly. I refused to make any physical contact. "Mr. and Mrs. McCarty..." She said in a sour tone, like she'd used real lemons as a chapstick. "I'm afraid things are not working out for Bella, here."

She slid a single piece of paper, a midquarter report, towards the three of us. Her long fingers dragged the paper until it nearly fell into Rosalie's lap. The giant C plus at the top of the page throbbed, like it was bleeding. Maybe it was just my fear throbbing, it was kind of hard to tell.

And yet Mrs. Shannon seemed to get some sick pleasure in seeing this.

"Surprised?" She said bitterly, looking towards me with absolute disdain. "I figured she wouldn't tell you how miserable she's doing in this class."

Rosalie grimaced, like someone had just punched her in the stomach. "Alright. What can we do about that? We could put a darkroom in the basement, give her some practice."

"I _think _what Bella _needs..._" He immediately stopped looking at me, like I didn't exist. "Is a good kick in the ass."

"Excuse me?" Emmett practically roared, inching towards the edge of his chair. Murderous rage intensified. I eyed Jasper in the corner, working his magic so to speak. Emmett scooted back into his chair, looking slightly pacified

"She procrastinates, spending all her time in class cuddling with her boyfriend. She flounders until the absolute minute and then produces less than average work. All her pictures don't follow any composition rules at all..."

Humiliation was not something I was immune to by any means. But this new scouring feeling overwhelmed me. Emmett sat quickly, no doubt silently threatened by Rosalie's presence. If he were to erupt, he would be facing the wrath of his wife, without a doubt.

Mrs. Shannon continued on her tirade, spouting words like "slacker" and "not photography material", and no one seemed to stop her. Rosalie must've been enjoying this, her derision for me not entirely gone.

And then, something happened that made me question my beliefs in that statement.

"You know..." Rosalie cleared her throat, no doubt releasing all that rage building up along with her subtle thirst. "From what I hear, it's not the student, it's the teacher. Bella comes home and won't stop talking about how satisfied with the work she produces. Maybe you should stop judging your projects on how well they can take a picture of a bench right in the middle, and start focusing on the _art _aspect of your class."

Rosalie sounds absolutely enraged as she defends me. I finally start to believe that she is at peace with the decisions I've made, and is starting to see me like a sister now.

At this, the three of us storm out, leaving bitter Mrs. Shannon in a stupor. It feels good, being defended. Makes me feel loved.

Like I'm really a part of this McCarty family, however false the pretenses may be.

The creeping feeling of humiliation hit me again as soon as we got home. Rosalie and Emmett both asked me if I wanted to celebrate a generally good night. But I really didn't feel like much like celebrating. All the comments my teacher had for me were thoughts I were pondering myself, and the fact that someone else noticed _had _to mean they were true. Even as a technical 28 year old, I had the emotions of a teenage girl.

I would finally starting to fit in at my school, I suppose.

Rosalie asked me the lame cliché about why I had a long face. My voice cracked when I insisted that I was fine, betraying my pretense. I waited until I was safe in my room to break down. I sat on the floor, knees to my chest, slowly rocking back and forth. I only get a few moments of peace before...

"Knock knock." Emmett muttered softly, an innocent smile on his face. I motioned for him to come in, even though he was already through the door. He fell to the ground, sitting right next to me. Without special mind-reading abilities, he knew what was on my mind. "That lady is a hack—don't listen to what she has to say."

"She's right." I sighed, weak with defeat. "I produce less than average work. _I'm _less than average."

Emmett shook his head. "You are not average, Bella. You're smart, funny...and not just when you trip over things, either."

We both giggle, a band-aid over the bullet wound in my chest.

"Don't let some middle aged hack in a polyester dress ever convince you otherwise. You're my sister. I know you well enough to know that there's no way you could ever be average."

His genuineness was staggering, and I had no choice but believe him. My heart swelled with love, my throat thick with emotion. "Thanks, Emmett."

He patted me gently on the shoulder, contemplating whether or not I needed a hug. As he wrapped his burly arms around me, I realized I had forgotten how sweet and caring my big brother could be.

Within milliseconds of Emmett's exit, Edward was tapping on the window, impatient as ever. I opened the window as quickly as possible, my hands trembling the entire time. Edward, however, climbed inside with unwavering grace. "Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt."

"It's okay." I sputtered, my heart filling with rapture that he was back.

"I heard what _she_ said about you." His lips curl up in an angry snarl at the thought of those particular comments. But as soon as his hand brushed my cheek, the only emotion running through his mind was concern. Concern for me, for my well being. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. My knees trembled at his murmur.

My mind raced back to Emmett, and his comforting words. "I'm fine." There was no deceit or anguish in my smile now. I really did feel _fine_, for lack of a better word.

Edward looked defeated by that. He wanted to be the one to comfort me.

"Well..." I twisted my hands through his, kissing the skin tenderly. The next few words would be a total ruse, for his benefit. And mine, I suppose. "I guess I'm not _totally _fine..."

His hand brushed my cheek, that glorious smile returning to light up his face. "I certainly am willing to remedy that." His lips effortlessly erased any feelings of mediocrity.

Wrapped up in Edward's arms, I no longer felt average. His boundless love made me feel extraordinary.

And I could tell, for certain, that he felt the same.

**This chapter was based on my real life. My 8****th**** grade math teacher DID tell my parents that I didn't need a tutor but a good kick... and I didn't get a C in photo, but my teacher DID hate my work. :P Whatever, I'm over it.**

**Please review! If we make it over 200...I'll be very happy. :D And happiness means more chapters quicker. **


	18. Quitting

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Over two hundred reviews!! Hurrah! You guys rock!

**Oh, and I still own nothing.**

**Chapter Eighteen – Quitting**

Three meetings. That was how long this sham of a membership was lasting, including the meeting we were walking towards now. It was two meetings longer than Edward had promised, and about three weeks longer than I wanted to be trapped in a room with nine others that were smarter than me.

Edward insisted that if I gave it a try, I would be quite good at it. We were so good at negotiating, that debating and bargaining in the fake court would be natural.

_Besides. _He added, seemingly more eager to be walking to the world studies room than I was at the moment. _It's not like we've got anything better to do Tuesday afternoons._

I looked at him with my annoyed face, a look I usually saved for _after_ the meeting. _I can think of LOTS of things I'd rather be doing._

He laughed warmly, shaking his head. Today he found my reluctance infinitely amusing. But he clearly had no intentions of giving in. Not without a little...persuading.

I only hoped that it came naturally to me, as Edward had predicted.

* * *

The way things looked, Edward and I had toxic chemicals pouring out of our pores. Every student in the club left a visible perimeter around us as we sat listening to Beth and Ian co-pilot the meeting. Mr. Green Peace—that's how I'd always remember him—refused to allow Beth to handle the leadership by herself. All of the students were daunted by Edward and me, probably because Edward was unnaturally smart, and I was somehow terrifying. It figured.

Of course, neither of us listened to the quarrelling leaders—we were busy fighting ourselves.

_I only promised one meeting. _I was getting whinier the longer I was here. _You are in breech of contract._

_No one is forcing you to be here._

That was a lie. _You're forcing me. You know I don't want to be anywhere without you._

He looked at me with those heartrending, liquid gold eyes. Why was he so interested in this club? That question loitered noisily in my head.

_I thought this would be something you wanted. A chance to have an hour or two away from the family. Alone, with each other. _His hand brushed mine sweetly.

I scoffed acrimoniously, scanning the room. Alone was not the adjective I'd use to describe this situation. _And eight other teenagers._

"In conjunction with the Psychology teachers and the Mock Trial..." Beth looked up from her note cards occasionally, like her eyes were gasping for breath. "I've arranged for my aunt, a juvenile corrections officer in Washington, to come and speak about her experiences with the judicial system."

"Angie's coming? Why didn't you tell me Jake and Angie were coming?" Apparently, Ian was not informed. Their ensuing argument on informed management was easily avoidable.

I focused back on my argument with Edward, who was on the brink of concession.

_If quitting this will make you happy... _Edward sighed, traces of defeat in his flat tone. _Anything for you, love. _He planted one tender kiss on my knuckles, and rested his hand on top off mine. Victory tasted sweet today.

"What a way to spend your honeymoon." Ian muttered, not catching the attention of anal-retentive Beth.

She was swift to recover control of the group. "So November 21, we've booked the auditorium. Attendance isn't mandatory unless you're in Mr. Wright's psych. Now if there aren't any questions, I'll hand out the case files, and we'll call it a day."

While Beth and Ian were busy passing out perfectly organized manilla envelopes, I jabbed Edward in the side. Three meetings, I reminded him.

"Hey Beth?" Edward called sweetly, the sugariness hanging on every reluctant word. Her ponytail whipped in her face as she jerked towards us. Still, her smile seemed innocent. Unsuspecting. "Can I speak with you a minute?"

Like a lamb to the slaughter, she walked towards us with subtle excitement. The skip in her step was inescapable. "Sure. What's up?" Her hands rested on her hips and her head bobbed in curiosity.

Edward was about to hesitate, change his mind, when I cleared my throat. That was the push he needed. "I'm afraid Bella and I will not be able to make anymore meetings."

"Really?" Her disappointment was absolutely heartbreaking. "Is there..."

"Bella has some after school commitments at home, and she's my ride." Edward shrugged, that dazzling persuasion so painfully obvious. "We are both so very sorry."

"I'm sorry." I whispered, trying to make it convincing.

"It's okay." Beth choked out, clearing her throat, trying to toss all that failure from her mind. "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work." She shook both Edward's and my hands, trying to preserve some professionalism. "The door's always open if your schedule clears up."

At that, we followed the crowds now exiting leaving the room. I was supposed to feel liberated—free from this imprisonment Edward had thrust upon me.

Instead, I felt swells of guilt. Particularly from his unknowingly condemning glare.

I stopped him before he could continue with this guilt trip. "Don't." Firm and unambiguous.

His expression was confused. "Don't what?"

"Make me the bad guy." I threw my arms across my chest, exhaling sharply. "I see the way you're looking at me. With accusation."

He chuckled warmly. "I was doing no such thing. Perhaps you've got a guilty conscience."

"Do not." I nearly shrieked two pitches above my normal tone. I most certainly was culpable of nothing.

He kissed me on the cheek, a quick but loving gesture. "Whatever you say, love."

* * *

Silence continued the entire car ride home. When Edward's Volvo stalled in front of his house, Alice's thoughts crept up on me like a predator.

Edward looked like he was about to speak, but I silenced him. All my focus went onto Alice's plans. The plans that would thwart my own, of getting some quality alone time with Edward. She had seen our abrupt end to a career in Mock Trial, and began plotting at that exact moments.

Noting my concentration, Edward figured out what I was contemplating. He always knew what was on my mind.

"She doesn't know we're home _yet_." His tone was ample with foolish optimism.

"It's Alice." Two words held huge significance. "She knows."

He grabbed my hand, feeling especially devious. Kissing it once tenderly, he ran it along his granite cheek. "I guess we'll have to keep it a secret, won't we?" His voice, saturated with adulation, was enticing.

I laughed wryly. "With Alice, there are no secrets."

He set my hand in my lap, and threw me a zealous smile. "We'll just have to try real hard, won't we?"

Without hope, I sat silently.

This silence was taken as surrender. One hand rested on my thigh as he started the car again. "Don't quit on me, love."

And I knew I could not, or would not, do such a thing.

* * *

Both Edward and I were carefully not to make any definitive plans to direct Alice towards. Fooling her was no easy task, so we both made unrelenting plans to throw her off the trail. Indecisiveness was our mask. She would get flickers of ideas, and wouldn't be sure what to believe.

Hopefully she would get the hint.

Our first plan, a matinee showing of some cheesy romance movie, was mutually agreed on instantly. There was still a chance our plan would fail, but I was trying to remain optimistic.

When we got to the theater, Alice was there, holding Jasper's hand loyally. That smug look burned brightly behind her bullion eyes.

"Did you really think you'd trick me?" She called out once Edward and I were out of the car. The idea that we believed she could be easily tricked thoroughly insulted her.

Jasper stood, stoically expressionless. He subtly calmed the situation, but remained impassive. Wherever Alice went, he followed. Period.

Conquered, I groaned, leaning into Edward's body for support. He didn't mind holding me close at all.

I didn't have to throw a fit—Alice saw it quickly, saving me the energy.

"Double dating is a common teenage practice, so I'm not breaking any rules." She said complacently, approaching the ticket line. "Don't be such a spoil sport, Bella."

I walked, locked tight in Edward's grasp, towards the movie. If I couldn't have time to myself with Edward, then I would make do with what I was given: a dark movie theater with my sister and brother nearby.

This would take some serious ingenuity.

* * *

Apparently, Alice was just as eager to get her husband in the dark of the matinee as I was. The second the first trailer lit up the screen, she threw away her plans of conversation with me, and climbed into Jasper's arms. Intertwined, they rested their legs on vacant seats in front of them. It was a tight fit in the small movie theater seat, but neither seemed uncomfortable with the pose.

Edward was much more subtle. His hand rested along my armrest during the trailers, patiently waiting for the opening credits before making his move. Sappy violin strings were scoring two young lovers when I felt Edward's hand along the back of my neck. At first, the brushing was consistent. But his hand settled on my right shoulder.

Then his mouth pressed against the side of my neck, his chin resting on my left shoulder. The distracting sensation of his lips along my skin, occasionally brushing through my hair, was gratifying. This continued through most of the first act—brushing, grazing, satisfying.

After a good twenty minutes of trying to focus on the movie, I surrendered. I kissed Edward Eskimo-style, our noses grazing sweetly. I brushed his copper hair back, purposely letting my hand linger on his flawless face longer than necessary. The movie screen occasionally reflected gently against his pallid skin, a glorious mix of colors and luminosity.

Meanwhile, Alice and Jasper both were content staring at the movie, ignoring our display. It was something both of them had anticipated when they agreed to the double date.

And neither of us disappointed in that aspect.

* * *

After the movie was over, we walked outside to dark silver clouds. Night was approaching, and neither of us wanted the evening to end. Alice took control and insisted we walk around downtown. It was a beautiful twilight that should not be wasted indoors. The way Alice persisted was unachievable to deny.

We were in the middle of discussing Emmett and Rosalie's latest hunting mishaps when I spotted them. Beth and Ian, the co-leaders of my recently escaped penitentiary, Mock Trial. Ha. And I thought I'd escaped unscathed.

It took me a few seconds to realize they were holding hands. They were walking together not in the way that two friends, or two coworkers walked. No. They were walking like Edward and I walked, the way Alice and Jasper did.

They were dating.

Alice and Edward both felt the _need _to capture their attention—why, I will never understand. Alice waved, Edward called Beth's name. I merely stood in silent dishonor.

As soon as we were within sight, both their hands dropped to their side. An invisible wall between them was instantly erected, despite their reluctance.

I should've figured they were dating—it was something I probably could've picked up, if I were paying attention at any of the meetings.

"Bella, Edward. Hi!" Beth choked out, trying to sound casual. In her mind, she was trying to figure out if we had figured her secret.

Ian shuffled his hands through his thick black hair. As if the words were hidden away in there. "Beth and I were going to discuss some...politics." His eyes shifted during his long and pensive pause. "Care to join us? Catch a bite?"

I doubted that "catching a bite" meant the same to everybody present.

"We were actually just heading back to my house to have dinner with my family." Edward spoke casually. He suddenly pulled me even closer in his iron-tight grasp. Beth and Ian were surprised at how affection he was acting. "Maybe some other time."

The couple was intimidated enough by all four of us that they were partially gratefully we declined. They muttered something about how they'd like the rain check. They practically sprinted out of our way, leaving the four of us to laugh quietly.

Once they were far enough behind us, their hands returned to their joined position.

That was the deciding factor—our stroll through downtown was over. Alice kissed me and Edward on the cheek and danced off with Jasper towards her car down the street. I remained silently at Edward's side until we were back at the car.

"What was that about?" Edward knew I meant the sudden demonstrative behavior. Normally in school our displays of affection were either modest or private.

The sudden publicity of it all was shocking to even me.

"I'm done pretending." Edward muttered ardently. "I don't want to be like Beth and Ian, hiding this. I want everyone in the town to know you're mine and I'm yours."

Arguing with that logic was difficult. I kissed him eagerly, the distracting kind that lasted much longer than most humans our age would kiss.

* * *

When we got back to his place, his unbridled enthusiasm continued. From the time we got in the door, he was practically racing to his room. Some mysterious idea had come to him that he refused to enlighten me on. The only thing he let slip was that he had a present to give me, something relating to our conversation in the car.

"Close your eyes." He said, leaving me in the doorway of his room. I had no choice but to obey. I snapped my eyes shut, mostly in terror of what was waiting for me when I opened them again. I heard him shuffling around, opening a few drawers, slipping something...

"Alright, open them." He said, full of childish enthusiasm. In my hands rested a simple silver chain, beautiful by itself. But strung up was two sparkling pieces—my engagement ring, and my wedding band.

Our usual routine was he would put the rings back on when we were out of school.

"What's this for?" I asked, which was surprising. I was so sure that since he'd taken my breath away by the beauty of this, that I wouldn't be able to talk for some time.

He brushed my russet hair away from my shoulder, slipping the necklace on casually. "So you can always have them on you. Tell the kids at school they were your parents—I don't mind." He looked at me sheepishly, now that the necklace was fastened. "I just want to see them on you all day."

I decided to quit, just like Edward had quit earlier this evening.

I was going to quit being so uncomfortable with acting like the love of Edward's existence, whether it was in school or by myself.

It was liberating, giving up that fight.

**Okay, there's a reason this chapter was so long. This may be the last update until at least the weekend. But this time I have a good reason—this morning I am having teeth pulled. :( I'm not sure how long it will take before I'm sane enough to write coherently again. So please review. Please!!**


	19. Relaxed

**Chapter Nineteen - Relaxed**

Edward's perfect frame lingered in the doorway, an attractive scowl on his face. "I can't believe they canceled school for _this_."

The roads in town were covered in a thick sheen of ice. Snow fell in wet and heavy clumps. Even though our reflexes were capable of coping with the slick conditions, almost all the humans weren't so capable.

"It's the middle of November, Edward. The first massive snow storm--what else do you expect? Besides, look at it this way." I spoke up, sprawled comfortably on the couch. "We've got a three day weekend now. Trapped in your house..."

He was back in my arms before I could utter another word. My arms draped around his neck like a blanket, our legs interlocked like threads in a sweater.

His smile demonstrated all the wickedness resting in his mind. "Why didn't I think of that before?"

It did not take him long to consume every inch of space between us. His chest pressed up against mine, I stared into his soft gold eyes staring back at me so ardently. More love than I deserved. He pressed his lips against the side of my neck, and took his time on the trip towards my lips.

He kissed me in the kind of way that made me forget my own name. After many sizzling minutes—or hours, I couldn't really tell—he broke away, and leaned towards my ear. "What would you like to do today, Mrs. Cullen?" His whisper was the sweetest sound imaginable.

And I felt like a newlywed all over again.

"I've got a few things in mind." I was giving him a mental taste of what I wanted to come, when I saw _it_. Alice was in close proximity, making her own plans. Plans of girliness, of asinine dresses and supposedly-necessary makeovers.

All were plans that had absolutely no correlation to what _I _was planning.

"Pre-emptive strike. Today's my day." I muttered under my breath, grabbing Edward by the wrist, and dashing for the door. Our hands interlocked as we started to run. Edward made no complaint of running, but after a few minutes and a few hundred yards, he wanted a further explanation. So he rummaged through my head to find one.

"Alice can't seem to learn to share you." He declared as we ducked into the thick forest where we hunted during the fall. It was there we stopped running and perched together in a makeshift canopy of snow-covered branches.

She seemed to pick up the hint that I wanted some alone time with Edward. I heard her cell phone ringing and Rosalie picking up. Free to enjoy my time with Edward, we cuddled together on our little perch. The faint light of sun's rays refracted off the lumps of ice, making everything look like the finest hybrid of crystal and diamond. It was so beautiful that I just had to gaze around in wonder.

Very sharply, Edward threw himself onto me. The force in his kiss and sudden movement was enough to jostle me out of our position. And since Edward's arms had been locked around me in a tight embrace, he fell to the ground with me. We landed together in a thick bank of fluffy white snow. Edward rested comfortably on top of me, a smile growing just as quickly as we had fallen.

"That was awfully graceful of you." He laughed, brushing some of the white powder off of my face.

"It wasn't my fault." I growled, practically pushing Edward off of me. I sat up, and brushed myself off. "You attacked me."

"That was not an _attack_. You, on the other hand, were just simply too alluring to _not _kiss. I believe that makes you the guilty one." He smiled, so self-assured that he was not the guilty one.

Only slightly irritated at his tease, I crouched defensively, preparing myself for attack.

"You wouldn't dare." He knew my plans, and didn't think I had the ability to do carry them out.

And so I proved him incorrect—swiftly, pounced him. My speed and determination was enough to tackle Edward. It was either that, or he wished to be tackled. As soon as we hit the ground, he began a perfectly synchronized dance. We tumbled and rolled together, the soft snow our mattress. Our lips converged, and heartily refused to part.

My plans of having some _quality_ alone time were accomplished.

* * *

We came home at twilight, both of us sopping messes. While Edward looked just as beautiful as he normally did, I felt and looked like a wet mop. When we got into the house, I declared that I was showering first. Edward suddenly seemed very distracted, racing to his piano. Whether he was intentionally trying to keep me out or not, I couldn't tell. But I really wanted to wash some of the muddy snow off before I could investigate.

Steam rose from the water, nearly to the point of boiling. If I had taken a shower this hot as a human, I would've had serious burns. Now, it merely ran off me, and felt barely above freezing. But it washed off the grime of snow-play, so it was as effective as needed.

I heard the door open, and the soft rustling of clothes. It didn't take him long to hop into the shower with me.

"You didn't think I'd let you be alone, even for a few minutes did you?" His grin was absolutely mischievous and positively sinful to disregard.

For the second time, I felt like a newlywed. A very happy and relaxed newlywed.

**I feel absolutely horrible that it took me THREE MONTHS to update! Please forgive me! Also, since it's been that long (not to mention I've been working on other stories, I'm still struggling to find this narration once again. Patience will be greatly rewarded!) I promise I'm going to finish this story before the end of the year.**

**On that note, please review!! :D**

**IWillBeThereWhereYouAre**


	20. Sidetracked

**This chapter goes out to lemon-of-the-tent, who gave me the idea for this chapter. :D Thanks a million!**

**And I still own nothing. Shame, really...**

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**Chapter Twenty – Sidetracked**

It was English. Another class discussion about Animal Farm, relating it to communism. If _I_ had little interest in it, Edward was dying slowly. Mindless discussion was leading him to death by tedium. He had obviously suffered through many more English classes than I had.

He looked at me from his front row seat, that smoldering look in his eyes.

_Can we go somewhere?_

He looked at me, his eyes soft and pleading. I could tell how tortured he was, sitting so far away from me. How much suffering it was, listening to this lecture for the ten thousandth time.

_Please? _He added, his thoughts holding that same persuasive quality his eyes possessed.

I couldn't say no.

The teacher had her back turned, caught up in some delinquent students comments. Before she could finish the sentence, he dashed through the open door. I waited impatiently for his return.

I didn't have to wait long.

He stayed in his desk until a pause in the discussion. When the teacher looked amiable, he roamed to the front of the room. Signed counselor pass in hand, it only took one innocent smile for him to be excused. He breezed out the door, looking insufferably beautiful and perfect. It would take too long to delay, for appearances sake.

I frantically searched my inferior brain for a good way to get out.

"Mrs. Jackson, may I please go to the bathroom?" My subtly was nonexistent, but Mrs. Jackson did not seem aware of my urgency. I walked out of the classroom, at a leisurely pace. As soon as I hit the empty hallway, I started walking at a more frenetic pace. Determined, I strode through the hall with absolute verocity.

I felt a cold hand pull my wrist, jerking me into darkness. I knew I had found him, or at least, he'd found me.

"There you are." He whispered, running his hand through my hair, rediscovering my skin. His hands pulled our lips together with such tenacity, I couldn't stop to think. Our motions were limited by the size of the room. But that did not hinder his determination. His kiss was so frenetic, his lips moved urgently but relished every taste. His suffering in English had become well worth the wait.

It was a dance. Each movement so perfectly synchronized. I was so terrified to break the brooms and shelves around, so terrified of getting caught, I let him lead. He certainly was the better dancer.

Over and over, he mentioned his undying love for me. I focused so hard on those sentiments, I almost forgot that we were making out in a janitor's closet.

Much too suddenly, muted florescent light filled the dark closet, and Edward reluctantly tore himself away from me. I turned my head, caught in the headlights.

"Mr. Cullen. Miss McCarty." Mr. Brandon, the biology teacher, said with scorn.

I groaned, burying myself in the palm of my hand. Embarrassment flushed throughout me. Ten years ago, I would've turned bright red, and Edward would have mocked me relentlessly. Luckily I would not turn such a shade.

Without another word, he motioned for us to step out of the closet.

Our situation was defined with one simple word: busted.

* * *

It was so daunting sitting in the principal's office. And it certainly did not help that I had both Emmett and Rosalie on my left, and Carlisle and Esme on Edward's right. They called my "parents" and Edward's as well. I couldn't believe they actually did that kind of thing. It was mildly annoying--I had managed to survive seventeen years in school without getting a slap on the wrist, and now I was sitting in the principal's office. And what was worse wast that Edward's record had been just as pristine, but for only longer.

We both knew we had nothing to be ashamed of. Edward and I had both gone through high school at least once, and were joined in holy matrimony—taking a quick "break" in the closet was not...irrational for us, I suppose. But to continue the act, both he and I ducked our heads, acting embarrassed.

"Dr. Cullen, I'm sorry to have taken you away from your work, but I felt this needed some immediate attention." Principal Harrison said, scratching his chin. Maybe he really had an itch, or maybe he thought it made him look more intimidating.

"Miss McCarty and Mr. Cullen were caught performing...inappropriate acts in a janitor's closet during their English period." Trying to be diplomatic. Nice.

Mr. Brandon jumped into the conversation from the doorway. "They were making out."

Their reactions were not surprising at all. Rosalie was merely shocked that we had gotten caught. I blamed that on getting very caught up in the moment. Carlisle and Esme both anticipated this kind of thing, so were calm and collected about this situation. And Emmett...he just laughed, occasionally sending Edward some boorish congratulations.

Mr. Harrison turned his attention to Esme and Carlisle, vigilantly planning his words. "Are you aware that your son has been taking part in this kind of...lewd public behavior with his girlfriend?"

"They were just kissing, right?" Emmett interjected, his imagination running unrestrained.

"It's not the point, Mr. McCarty. Our school has a low tolerance for PDA." Emmett and Mr. Harrison glowered at each other, and I had a hard time containing my laughter at Emmett's scowling expression.

Carlisle was desperate to get back to the hospital, and decided to be diplomatic. Cut this thing short. "While their actions were completely inappropriate for school, they're both responsible children. And we actually believe they're a committed, loving couple." Carlisle smiled confidently at both Edward and I, his hand resting dotingly on Esme's as soon as he mentioned 'we'.

Of course we were committed—we had the wedding pictures to prove it.

Mr. Harrison disagreed. "It's just teenage love. Those hormones make you do stupid things, like think you're in _love_..."

"I do love her." Edward whispered so ardently. His hand twitched towards mine. "I'm sorry that I acted inappropriately on school property, but I love her with all my heart."

Principal Harrison winced. "I know you _think _you're in love, Mr. Cullen, but it's just teenage hormones. You'll both move on to different colleges, grow apart." He cleared his throat, realizing how preachy and insolent he really sounded. "Please know this. We cannot allow public displays of affection..."

"It wasn't really _public_..." I muttered a little too loud under my breath.

His face flushed with anger, the veins popping in his forehead. Emmett snickered loudly, and Rosalie poked him in the rib to stop it.

"Miss McCarty, Mr. Cullen, I am sentencing you both to Saturday detention." He said, no-nonsense, looking straight at Edward. "Perhaps it will help you re-prioritize." His hostility turned to me. "And maybe it will teach you discretion in your comments."

I looked at Edward, unsure of how to respond.

_Please don't worry about it, love. It doesn't matter._

And it mattered to no one else. Only me. The fact that I would be wasting an entire Saturday in detention, instead of spending quality time with the people I love.

That was the worst punishment imaginable.

**Hey, after you review (;D) you all should go read RedHeadedBelle's Jasper/Alice WWII epic, La Vita Nuova. I'm not just saying that because I'm her beta, i'm saying that because it's one of my favorite stories ever. So...review, then go on my profile--the story is under my favorites. :D**


	21. Trouble

**Stephenie Meyer owns this, not me. :( Sadly...**

**--**

**Chapter Twenty One - Trouble**

It's not that I was vehemently opposed to November 21—it was any other square on a calendar, holding no significance under normal circumstances. But _this _Saturday would be the first time I—or Edward, for that matter—would be serving detention for our little...incident in the janitor's closet.

What made it worse was that I was the only one who was even marginally upset by this.

Emmett found this situation endlessly entertaining, his thunderous laughter ripping through the house since our sentence. I had to slam the door quickly shut to contain his loud and embarrassing laughter. It was my penalty for getting a ride with him.

And Edward let this all roll off like raindrops on a water-proof porch.

In the library, where detention was served, I sat silently. Moping. Edward was a table away from me, but that did not impede him on gazing in my direction.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked, not concerned about getting caught violating the No-Talking-Allowed rule. We were the only two stupid enough to get caught and get detention this Saturday. Lucky us. This question confused me--he knew exactly what I was thinking, and how I was feeling. So his question was quite superfluous.

His clarification was swift. "I miss hearing your voice. Please let me know what's wrong."

I had been very careful to contain my exact reactions towards this situation when I was around Edward—something that was very strenuous. My fingers were loosening their grip on these emotions, and since we were alone, I figured that I might as well be honest.

"This..." I motioned to our surroundings. "It's all my fault."

He chuckled, creeping towards the edge of his table. "I think I was in the closet with you, love."

I shook my head. "If this had happened without me involved, you could've charmed your way out of it. Instead, we're wasting a Saturday sitting in the library." I looked down, embarrassed. The only thing that would make me feel happy was forbidden. "I can't even hold your hand."

"Says who?" Edward crawled towards my chair, grabbing my hand forcefully. "Look. I doubt they'll keep us here next Saturday for acting like a married couple."

I shushed him, my hiss filling the almost empty room. "We have got to be more careful around school."

"I told you, I'm done being prudent. If I want to hold my beautiful wife's hand..." His lips trailed along my fingers affectionately. "If I want to kiss her..." His lips dashed from my hand to my motionless lips, enjoying the flavor of his kiss. "If I..."

"Stop there." I choked out. "If you keep going, we're _definitely _going to be spending next Saturday here, and..." I swallowed hard, trying to compose myself. My voice was quavering with anticipation. "Neither of us would like that very much."

He didn't stop. His thoughts became raunchy, yet so tantalizing.

"Come on." He muttered, his hand brushing my collarbone. Those alluring thoughts intensified, rapture searing through me like a blazing flame. It was no longer want—I needed him. His enticing whisper only augmented that need. "Let's get out of here."

"That's what _got _us here in the first place." I muttered, not even in control of my emotions right now. He was just...too persuading today. His lips began touching where his fingers had once been along my collarbone. His copper hair swept along under my chin as he continued converted me.

"You _know _how easy it would be to just coast right out of here."

He was right--escape would not be hard, given our speed. Not to mention the trust detention's supervisor placed in Edward and me. Of course, it wasn't really trust—"big sale" was the more appropriate noun here. We were free to leave at 3:00, completely trusted by Mr. Jacks.

There was another factor involved. "Knowing my luck, we'll get caught before my feet could touch the ground."

In one swift and quiet motion, he scooped me up into his zealous arms. My now empty chair landed on the floor with a resonating thud. "I guess I just won't let your feet touch the ground." His wonderfully crooked grin surfaced as he twirled me around, hamming it up a bit.

I had lost all control by this point.

With giddy anticipation, Edward sped out into the parking lot with me in his grasp, unable to move fast enough.

Adrenaline raged throughout me. This was exciting—escaping detention. Edward turned the key to his car, just as nonchalant as he'd been a few minutes ago. I was fumbling with the radio when I heard the knocking. Soft rapping on the glass, sounding like whenever Edward had tried coming into my room.

My first instinct was that we'd been caught—the big sale had failed to deliver, and Mr. Jacks was here to snare Edward and I. Out of the corner of my eye, I expected his beady blue eyes to be condemning me with another Saturday detention.

Instead, I saw something worse. Much, much worse.

"Oh, God..." I muttered under my breath, tightening every inch of my body. As if curling in a ball would help me avoid this.

_Relax. Everything will be alright. _He insisted, calmly rolling down the window. And I had a hard time believing him.

I refused to make eye contact at first. They spoke up incredulously despite my lack of fascination. "Bella? Is that you?"

And at that, I turned to stare with disbelief into the unholy and inescapable face of my past. The one person who could potentially expose my family once and for all.

**Apologies all around for the cliffhangers. (This one and in The Facts Were These) But review and I'll update! (yes, that sounds like blackmail. Oh well.)**


	22. Under Pressure

**Chapter Twenty Two – Under Pressure**

"Bella, is that you?" Angela Weber's soft voice spoke again, everything about her proving she _knew _that it was me.

_Stay calm. _Edward urged me silently, confidence oozing from his thoughts. I struggled to maintain a similar mental tone. _I'll get you through this; you just have to trust me._

_I trust you. _I answered, and it was the truth. It was myself that I couldn't trust. Once again, I had put the entire family in harm's way. If I couldn't pull off this acting job, then we were doomed. And it was painfully apparent how horrible of a liar I was. I couldn't erase that feeling of doom circling my stomach, no matter how much I trusted Edward.

He leaned towards her, his cheek dangerously close to touching mine. "I'm sorry, do we know you?" The ever persuasive actor as always. I myself was questioning the validity of Angela's question.

Angela bit her bottom lip, flushing to a strong shade of pink. The blood in her veins began pulsing heavily, and I held my breath. The adrenaline was making her blood even more tempting. I resisted as best I could.

"I'm sorry, you just look exactly like someone I went to high school with. Actually..." She paused, silently calculating ages and analyzing appearances. "You both do." My panic resurfaced—would she be able to make that connection or not?

Edward pursed his lips, giving the appearance of pity. Pity for the crazy woman asking if the two teenagers she doesn't even know were actually the friends she had gone to high school with. And Angela appeared to buy it.

"Well, I apologize, but Kristen and I have only gone to this school." He was using fake names, nice. But couldn't he come up with something more...interesting?

_I'd like to see you come up with something more interesting, love. _Edward replied without even faltering in speech.

"Come on, Robby. Let's go." I said, suddenly grateful that my voice was barely recognizable any more. My transformation had not only been in physical appearances alone—even my voice had changed slightly. Hopefully its alteration was enough to hinder Angela's suspicions.

Edward drove his car off, and I couldn't help but silently wish for a faster car. We needed to get far away from Angela and her investigations as soon as possible.

"It's not over." I admitted, crossing my arms as he raced along the interstate. "Angela isn't stupid."

"I know she's not, that's why I have a plan." If I had been paying attention to his thoughts, I probably would've caught on. Selfishly, I was only concerned about myself. "And you are most definitely not selfish."

I ignored his last statement. "You have a plan?"

For the rest of the car ride home, he explained the details of his plan. Foolproof was the best adjective I could hope for, but I was always anticipating the worst.

The second we walked through the door, I was logging into his computer. All the pieces had fallen together during the car ride. Angela had been the guest speaker I had heard about in my brief forray into Mock Trial. She was Beth's aunt Angie—explaining both why the girl had seemed vaguely familiar at first glance, and what Angela had been doing in the parking lot at that exact moment.

The very second my email opened up, I began typing in a fury.

_Hey! Sorry I couldn't make it to the reunion this year—Edward's been insisting that this is the peak time to visit Europe, and we decided on this as an anniversary present. We're at a hostel in Rome right now—it's absolutely beautiful. But I just wanted to get in touch with you—it's been too long! What have you been up to?_

_Bella._

I clicked send, my fingers crossed that this would work. It felt like it was days before we got a reply, when it was actually only two hours.

_Bella! I can't believe it! Don't worry about skipping the reunion—there wasn't much to see. Jessica and Mike had an explosive argument—I guess the honeymoon's over, right? Anyways, things have been crazy. Ben's doing well, though he absolutely hates his job. Jake's turning two next month, and he is impatient for his party._

_I must say, I think I'm losing my mind or something. I saw a couple of kids at my niece's school, and for some reason, I actually thought they were you two! I swear, they could've been your twins. Anyways, I know they weren't _actually _you and Edward. Pretty sure I freaked them out, too. Oh well. How about you? How's Edward doing?_

_Angela._

I breathed with relief as I read her rambling message. She bought our act and was nowhere near suspicious of us at all. Edward relished in my relief, kissing the side of my neck and sliding his lips up to my ear.

"I told you. Everything would be fine."

And I felt relief. Even when I was buried under the pressure of being exposed, with Edward by my side, I could get through anything.

"By the way..." He said, twirling my hair around one of his fingers. "Robby?"

Embarassment flushed throughout me. "I was thinking on the spot, give me a break."

"You gave me flack for Kristen, and I end up being a Robby?" The mock anger in his voice did not make me any less mortified.

"There are worse things I could've called you." I said with a cheeky grin. "Believe me."

Only slightly, he crouched, ready to strike if necessary. "I would love to see you try."

Before the words could fall from my lips, he knocked me from my chair and pinned me to the ground playfully. And I was no longer under the pressure of potential exposure—I was under the weight of my beautiful, perfect, and wonderful kisser of a husband.

That was the kind of pressure I enjoyed.

**I give mad props to Lemon-Of-The-Tent for her attempt at sleuthing--A for effort. And that was a wretched attempt at an allusion, and I apologize. But try coming up with a good name at 1 in the morning. :P Anyways, please review!**


	23. Value

**Ch 23 – Value**

It was such a stupid little victory to have, but I was reveling in it regardless.

Art class. We were experimenting with oil pastels, and today's exercise was creating a color wheel with only primary colors alone. And for once, I was actually succeeding. The same couldn't be said for my beautiful husband. In an extremely out-of-character fashion, he wore a frustrated scowl and occasionally mumbled to himself under his breath.

"I thought you were good at everything." My confidence had been well-earned. It was a _very_ rare occasion when something came easier for me than it did for Edward. He was aware that this was just playful teasing, and he took it in stride today. Having this victory was making me very happy. And he believed taking that happiness away was a "sacrilege".

"They just won't blend!" He grunted, slamming the red pastel down, causing it to snap directly down the middle. When my eyes wandered over towards his paper, he moved his hand slowly to accommodate me.

"Not that I'm an art expert, but if you're pressing down that hard they aren't going to blend."

He merely frowned. "Care to tutor an underprivileged art student your techniques?" It was obvious how difficult it was to say that without sounding sarcastic. It seemed he really wanted the help.

Without another word, I grabbed him a new sheet and he grabbed his pencil. At a very human speed, he drew the circles (as instructed) and I waited very patiently until he was finished. Once the outline was completed, he looked up at me with those soft amber eyes, as if he were ready for any coming instructions.

I placed the yellow pastel in his hand, and as I began to withdraw, he held on.

"You know, I'm not really sure I know how to hold this properly." He grinned mischievously. "I think you need to _show_ me how."

And that was his plan all along. Whether or not he needed the help, I couldn't determine. But he was coming up with new (and clever) ways to hold my hand in school. I couldn't help but smile at that.

And so I obliged. My hand rested on his as he dragged the yellow across the blank white sheet. I could feel every nerve, every bone that shifted slowly as he made his strokes. "Now slowly ease up on your pressure..." My hand guided his, and his strokes became less dense. I smiled in approval. "Good. Now grab the red."

At lightning speed, he held the red pastel in his capable hand. My right hand was still resting on top of his right hand, and I was still getting shocks of absolute happiness shooting down my spine. And both of our hands moved together as he placed the pastel in his drawing hand.

"You do the same thing here, only you start to mix...where the yellow starts to get light...and you get orange." As his graceful hand slowed down, we examined his work. They had blended. Even as we were finished drawing, we left our hands twisted on the table top.

"You're quite the art teacher." He had the most luminous grin spreading across his face. From ear to ear, it seemed to me. And the happiness was contagious.

_You're rather tricky, aren't you? _I looked down at our intertwined hands as exhibit A._  
_

That grin widened, as if that were possible. _I really did need the help, love._

_Right. _I had a hard time believing him. _I suppose this is better than getting caught in the supply closet, though._

_Only one problem. _He amended his thoughts suddenly a little morose. _No kissing._

At that, I kissed him chastely on the cheek. Enough to satiate him slightly, not enough to send us back into the principal's office. His eyes sparkled, and he lingered closely to me.

_And _I'm_ the tricky one. _He added.

My victory did not feel as stupid any longer.

* * *

It felt like I was in some sort of alternate dimension. First the art incident, where I was the one helping Edward. And now we were at his house, where he was telling me to go up to his room without him.

"I'll be up in a second, I promise." He swore dutifully as we faced separation. "There is something I have to speak to Carlisle about."

I did not mention how bizarre he appeared to be acting. It was a rare occasion when there was something Edward refused to speak to Carlisle about in absolute privacy. So I kissed him and ran up towards his room without any complaint.

He's coming back, I told myself repeatedly. It seemed foolish to be so paranoid when he was just down the stairs from me. It's not like they were planning...something...without me... My head spun at the idea of being surprised. But what if they were planning something? For me would be the only option, as I was the only one ostracized from the conversation. Ugh. My frustration grew, and I needed to calm myself. This was most likely an overreaction.

The silence was driving me insane, and I quickly sought to remedy it. I approached Edward's fancy sound system, hoping that he had left something pleasant in it, ready to fill the silence.

It all happened very fast. Lost in my head, I was about to press play when Emmett popped up in the doorway, shouting, "Boo!" He had found it very amusing to watch me jump, and this time he completely caught me off guard. It was not the first time that Emmett had managed to startle me, even as a vampire.

But unfortunately for the speakers, being caught off-guard translated into completely smashing the expensive-looking system.

"You are in _so _much trouble." Emmett taunted, unable to keep that stupid grin off his face. "I did the same thing a few years ago, and I'm still waiting for forgiveness."

My head throbbed at that. Years waiting for forgiveness? Would Edward really hold a grudge for that long?

"It was your fault, Emmett." I pointed my finger at him. He was the one who jumped out and scared me.

"Tell that to Edward." He sneered as he walked out of the doorframe. "Good luck!" He called out from the stairway.

"I'm sorry!" I yelped as soon as Edward walked in the door. His run abruptly halted, and he looked at me baffled.

"What do you have to be sorry for, love?" His brows furrowed in confusion. I merely looked back at the electric rubble that used to be his

"I broke your stereo." I pouted, feeling like a child. I prepared myself for the bereavement. Anger, yelling, uncontrollable emotions.

And it was very confusing when I was just met by silence.

"Aren't you mad at me?" I couldn't take it anymore. The silence was more effectively guilt-tripping me than he was at the moment. And even though I could read his mind, I wasn't really sure what he was _thinking_.

He chuckled softly. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"I _broke_ your _stereo_." I repeated, with emphasis on key words. Why, all of a sudden, did I sound angry? "Emmett scared me, and I broke it."

Then he was inches away from me, running his hand along my cheek. "Bella, dear, you are the most valuable thing in my existence. A stereo I can replace. You I cannot." His words were dripping with sweet sincerity. "It's not like you did it on purpose."

"I suppose that's..."

And he interrupted me with a very sweet, and very passionate, kiss.

**I regret the delay in chapters. My life has been very hectic, what with scholarships and finals and monotonous schoolwork. Fortunately for you all, my dear readers, life has slowed down AND this was the chapter that was holding me up from posting. The next few chapters are already completed, and will be up soon. :D**

**Please review!**


	24. Winter Formal

**Chapter Twenty Four – Winter Formal**

As the limo sat idly in front of my house, I wasn't certain who the center of my frustration was. Edward, for doing something as superfluous as getting a _limo_ for the winter formal, or myself for agreeing to partake in a ridiculous tradition.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, though it was difficult believing his apology. He was wearing the most self-satisfied smile I'd ever seen. "I spoke to Carlisle about retrieving my special occasions car, but it just wasn't in the cards."

That was what Edward had been talking to Carlisle in privacy about.

Even in my new existence, my dislike for being dressed up was passionate. Alice had her fun wrapping me up in a deep blue dress (that looked suspiciously like something from the movies) and I had made little complaint of it. Ten years had taught me protesting did nothing when it came to Alice. But Edward certainly seemed to enjoy being dressed up. His hands wrapped around my waist and refused to relinquish their hold.

Proving that chivalry was not dead, he opened the door to the limo for me. "Your chariot awaits."

I climbed into the excessive "chariot" he had provided for me, and began counting down the minutes until the night was over.

* * *

"Admit it. You sort of had a good time." Edward said as we walked along the winding driveway to his house. Even though I had become an expert in running in the last ten years, tonight I did not want to risk it. In those ten years, I had never tried to run with high heels and a floor-length dress—and tonight I didn't want to experiment.

And I would be making no admissions of the sort. My hatred of dances had not hindered since becoming a vampire. But for appease Edward's guilt for subjecting it to me, I shrugged.

"I said that we didn't have to go. Not every single teenager goes to high school dances, love." His eyes were smoldering with that guilt that I was trying to avoid. "I never want to cause you pain. Surely you know that."

"It's not that big a deal." I lied—it was a big deal. The major relief was that it was over. "Besides, Alice wanted an excuse to dress me up like a doll. If I didn't, she would've been _very _disappointed."

"She did a very nice job. You look stunning." It was not the first time Edward had said something along that line. It felt like he was overcompensating for subjecting me to the dance again.

Edward opened the door for me, gentlemanly as always. I was taking out the absurdly dangling diamond earring out of my earlobe when Edward's hand caught mine.

"Don't." He urged softly. It was difficult to argue with him when he was wearing that alluring grin.

I was going to try anyways. "Why?"

"Because you are outrageously perfect in that dress, and I want to enjoy every last second that I can." He ran his hands along the smooth fabric draping along my thigh. Shivers danced up and down my spine. My rigid posture quickly melted, leaving me feeling like Silly Putty in his palm.

"Can I at least take off the heels?"

The answer was his melodious laughter. Unwilling to risk falling, I sat down at the kitchen table, about to free my feet from their prisons. But before my fingers could grasp the tiny silver hooks, Edward was unlatching them. His hands lingered along my ankle with each clasp unfastened, and he bore the most delicious smile possible.

"Thank you." I said, my bare feet lowering themselves slowly to the ground. Before I could make another move, Edward was leading me to the back porch.

The night was clear, the first in a very long time. The full moon cast little light on the rolling hills spread out before us, and yet the violet night was breathtaking.

"Such a beautiful view." He whispered in my ear, in time with the music he'd started as he lead me out here. His hand swept the thick curtain of curls away to one side, exposing the side of my neck. His perfectly smooth lips swept every exposed square inch. I reached one hand around and tangled my fingers up in his wind-tousled hair. I could feel the smile as he hummed in my ear.

For most of the night, we just stood there in each others' arms, listening to every love-soaked note. Each song brought back a flood of memories. Of course Edward would be meticulous enough to create the perfect soundtrack.

"I'm making up for the horrible deejay I subjected you to." He explained his meticulous choice in music. It was then I noticed that the sun was just starting to peak over the distant horizon. "Would you dance with me once more, love?"

"We just spent the whole night dancing." I complained, but I could feel the holes in my excuses slowly eroding, exposing my weaknesses. He grabbed my hand irregardless, and I walked slowly towards him.

"This dance would be just for us." His hands wrapped around my waist even tighter than they had all night. "Not because I want all the other humans around us to think we're as human as they are..." His eyes became a smoldering gold, his face beautiful in the still night. And his tender lips turned into a perfectly crooked smile. "But because I will take any excuse I can just to hold you close."

"Can't argue with that logic." I was amazed I found the words, I was so dazed. Instead of fighting or complaining, I just rested my cheek against the crisp white shirt and lapel of his jet black suit.

I let the bad memories of high school dances—the cheesy decorations, the terrible music, not to mention the awkward dancing on my part—slip away from my conscious. All I wanted to focus on was this moment. How sweet Edward's scent was. How soft he was holding my hand. How perfectly in-synch our bodies swayed.

Those all were the memories of the winter formal that I wanted to cherish.

**The links for bella's dress and the song Edward was singing to her are up on my profile now. Sorry this was a little shorter. :/ But please review regardless! **


	25. Xmas

**Chapter Twenty Five – Xmas**

This morning, I was in an indestructible good mood.

It was a perfect early morning snowfall outside. Slow, big flakes falling gracefully. My distaste for cold weather had been phased out towards appreciation. But there was another reason my mood was reaching absolutely blissful levels—our current location. Winter vacation had given me the opportunity to hole myself in his house, leaving for the occasional but necessary hunting trip. I was beyond content spending all my time in the Cullen house, whether Edward and I were alone or not. I was indisputably happy.

At that, Edward started tapping an impatient melody on my bare arm. "Do you know what day it is?" He whispered, his whisper particularly sweet today. I didn't have to think long before I remembered looking at the calendar. December 25.

The melodic whisper spoke before I could answer. "Merry Christmas, love."

"Merry Christmas." I choked back. Thoughts from downstairs flooded me, like one noisy room.

_How much longer are they going to be up there?_ Alice was the only one concerned about us.

_Not enough lights, I don't think. Alice won't be pleased with that._ Jasper was much more concerned about Alice's happiness than our location.

_Wish Emmett would just get one and come back_. Rosalie's annoyance was staggering.

Esme's thoughts were absolutely ecstatic, thinking about how happy all of us were.

"We probably should go downstairs sometime." He said, begrudgingly slipping away from me. But we weren't separated for long. Once we were both dressed, he flipped off the light switch, and we walked down the stairs together.

With three stairs left, Rosalie bombarded us. Her face was creased in severe exasperation.

"Edward, save us. Esme is playing the Perry Como records _again_."

In his free hand, he clutched several mixes of Christmas music, only much more modern than Esme's record collection. Like a boy scout, Edward always prepared.

Satisfied, Rosalie quickly perched herself on the couch, returning to her job of stringing white fluffs of popcorn in long chains. Along the wall, Alice and Jasper were detangling long strings of multicolored lights.

I was left along the wall, a silent spectator. Edward meandered towards the speaker, gracefully swapping the old vinyl for more contemporary holiday fare. Esme opened her lips to complain, but said nothing once she noticed how happy the Jimmy Eat World song made everybody.

Emmett busted through the door loudly, a boisterous smile on his lips, and a massive evergreen in his hands. "Found it!"

Alice approached him, examining it with her normal analytical glare. Once her analysis was complete, she shrugged. "Not bad."

"Not _bad_??? I'd like to see you pick a better tree than this one." Emmett shrugged off the snow like a wet dog, despite Esme's shrieks about the carpet, and set the pine tree into its iron holder. Alice quickly sprung into action, twirling the green strings around the tree. Within seconds, it was properly adorned.

I grabbed a handful of popcorn, letting it sift through my fingers like a bowl of dirt. I eyed Rosalie with shrewd speculation—she didn't even budge.

"My favorite tradition as a kid." She sighed, still poking soft puffs through the needle. "This is so much easier once you aren't eating all the popcorn first." She laughed wrly, her eyes sparkling with yearning.

Esme rested a hand on my shoulder, her contentment uncontrollable. "Maybe we are getting a little carried away, but this is the first real Christmas we've had as a whole family since you've joined us." She explained softly.

"The first few Christmases Edward wanted you all to himself." Alice poked Edward in the rib. "Typically selfish."

I was the only one who knew the _real _reason Edward had insisted on celebrating the holiday alone. He thought the human-like experience would upset me. Make me regret my decision, and miss those human experiences.

It felt obscenely appropriate the first real Christmas we had together was the first year I was pretending to be human.

"We all have a few holiday memories that stick with us." Carlisle added. "And they've all merged to create the Cullen family Christmas."

"With a few add-ons in traditions. Should we open presents before or after we hunt?" Always the mother figure—Esme was trying to keep us on track.

I gritted my teeth. Even with my relentless dislike for receiving presents, I knew in this family it would be unavoidable.

"How about after?" Edward suggested, watching my disinclination. _Give you some time to prepare._

Alice grinned at Emmett playfully. "Maybe you'll find reindeer this year, Emmett."

He shakes his head, but something in his eyes tells me there's a fruitless hunt he doesn't want to admit.

* * *

Being a Cullen translated into an endless supply of modern and expensive gadgets, and pretty much anything else under the sun. But it had been my goal to make every gift I bought heart-felt. I wanted to find gifts that no one else would think to buy them, and I thought I did very well.

Emmett's gift had been my favorite to buy. It was the cheesiest gift shop sweater I could find, with a cute little cartoon of a grizzly bear. Emmett was trying real hard to enjoy the joke, but I could tell he _really _wanted that new video game console.

Rosalie, my pretend mother figure, tore open a beautiful antique silver necklace. The purple stones glimmered against her pale skin. I hoped her gratitude was not false, but it actually seemed genuine.

For Esme, I had found a beautiful mahogany jewelry box I had found in an online antique store. Whenever you opened its doors, a sweet little melody played. Esme hummed that tune for the rest of the day.

I had been shopping with Alice earlier in the year when I had found the perfect gift for Carlisle. A pair of sterling silver cuff links, in the shape of stethoscopes. He'd been very upset that his favorite pair had been lost in the last move, and insisted that he had a new favorite to replace them, thanks to my generosity.

Jasper's gift—a rare collection of civil war era literature—had been the hardest to find. But the smile on his face as he fingered those withering pages had been worth the search. The room filled with even more good spirit after that.

Alice was the most difficult to buy for, since she bought nearly every item she wanted or thought she needed. But in lieu of an actual gift, I gave her a promise. She was given an entire day in close proximity where we would do whatever she want. The ambiguity of that promise scared me a little, but it was all I could think of.

And there was a very specific gift that I was saving for Edward. But that gift would only be appropriate when we were alone. As the others opened their presents, I gave him a little mental preview. And judging by the smile on his face and the ferocity of his thoughts, he would enjoy the present too.

After every last carefully-wrapped gift was torn open, everyone began to settle into a sitting position in the living room. The last track on Edward's mix began to play softly, and his eyes lit up with enthusiasm. When the chatter became louder than the music itself, his eyes darkened with fury.

"Shhh! This one's my favorite!" Edward exclaimed with excitement. Everyone else groaned at first, but their hisses of criticism died down quickly.

Alice and Jasper kissed Eskimo style, wordlessly expressing their adoration for each other. Emmett whispered softly affectionate murmurs, eliciting a dazzling smile from Rosalie. Carlisle's arms were draped around Esme, acting as a loving blanket for her as they watched over us all.

And after Edward turned up the music even louder, he returned to our part of the couch happily. We were a twisted knot of limbs, and his lips pressed softly against my ear as he whispered.

"I hope you had a merry Christmas, dear."

I smiled, pressing my cheek against his chest. "I'm sure this only the first of many."

"Very true, love." He kissed me briefly, and then murmured once more. "Very true."

**Links for all the Cullens' Christmas presents can be found on my profile, along with the songs "Last Christmas" (the Jimmy Eat World song mentioned) and Edward's favorite as well (which, coincidentally, is my personal favorite as well.) Please review!! :D:D:D**


	26. Yellow

**Chapter Twenty Six – Yellow**

The rest of winter had passed uneventfully, and the time between Christmas and spring seemed blurred to me now. The current streak of sunny weather both eliminated the ice and snow and had quarantined my family and me. Esme and Rosalie were both growing restless under this house arrest, and determined the only means of entertainment to be remodeling and redecorating both places of hibernation.

Rosalie was apparently feeling far more ambitious than Esme. Alice and Esme collaborated on minor projects, whereas our house felt more like a construction site. The smell of drywall filled the air, and hung like a very thick cloud above us all. Emmett was installing new hardwood floors gleefully as Rosalie attacked innocent walls.

I barely managed to escape Rosalie's DIY rampage by agreeing to repaint. I chose a bright and sunny yellow. Edward had agreed to assist in the painting, and that was regrettably how we would spend that Saturday morning.

His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his taut forearms. Each stroke with the long-handled paintbrush left one more graceful stream of yellow on the plain white walls. We worked in absolute silence until the first wall was covered in yellow paint. Only the sound of paint sticking to the wall was heard.

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you." He suddenly began to sing very faintly and under his breath. The melody was sweet, and as he noted my interest, he turned up the volume on his singing. "And everything you do. Yeah they were all yellow."

I refocused on the consistency of paint strokes. If I didn't, I was going to become very...distracted. Which would lead to my single job not being completed, and the potential wrath of Rosalie being brought down upon me.

That didn't stop Edward from attempting to distract me was well.

His paintbrush—along with him—inched closer and closer towards me. "I came along,  
I wrote a song for you, and all the things you do, and it was called "Yellow"." He smiled smugly,

"We have to finish." I could tell exactly what was on his mind. "If you keep doing…"

"I'm not doing anything." He said, wearing an expression of total innocence. His singing turned into a wordless hum, and I refocused on the painting. It wasn't for lack of desire—far from it. It took every ounce of willpower I had to not throw myself on him. But there was a task—a ridiculous, silly, foolish task—at hand. Once the painting was done with, I would have my way with him...

I felt something brush against my arm softly. Assuming it was a shirt sleeve or something, I ignored it.

"You know I love you so..." He began singing once more. I turned only to see him inches away, his paintbrush in his left hand now. And it was his right dancing across my forearm.

"Rosalie and Emmett are just downstairs." I protested as he began to snake his hands along my shoulders. He ignored said protests. "We can't..."

"We'll just have to be very quiet." He persisted, his voice possessing that sexy persuasion I could not resist. I really had no desire to finish painting at that point. I would face whatever anger Rosalie would throw my way.

It just wasn't worth saying no to Edward's persuasive lips kissing me.

* * *

The tarp that had protected the hardwood floor now acted as a makeshift blanket. I had slipped back into the oversized t-shirt I'd been wearing, and Edward put his pants back on. But we were still tangled together on the floor. Sometimes we would kiss, sometimes we would just lay there in silence. My fingers were tracing lines across his chest as he continued humming the Coldplay song for me.

A loud thumping sound came from the door, interrupting the nice moment. "How long does it take two of you to paint one room?" He was holding back laughter, and screaming his vulgar thoughts.

_Knew leaving them alone was a bad idea. What I wouldn't give..._

"Go away, Emmett." I called out, angry that my peaceful moment was being interrupted so rudely.

"Okay kids, I'll give you your privacy." He said with a guffaw and trampled down the stairs noisily. His loutish thoughts trailed after him.

"We better finish." Edward said, standing on his feet again and putting his shirt back on. I knew he was right, but the selfish part of me just wanted another five minutes with him. "And there's plenty of time for that later, dear." He amended with a smile.

I slipped back into my jeans, and worked with newfound dedication until the entire room was a delightful yellow shade.

* * *

_Took them long enough_... Rosalie wasn't mad; she was merely annoyed with my apparently slow pace. She had big plans for Edward and I, and our little intermission had put her behind schedule.

"Hey Bella." Emmett was wearing a smile that was too smug for my liking. I turned to him, afraid of what he would say. "You've got paint all over you."

I looked down to find smears of paint everywhere. Similar streaks of yellow were all over Edward as well. Emmett and Rosalie both laughed together—they knew exactly how streaks of paint were left on us. They knew what we had been doing as we claimed to be painting, and they would be laughing about it for weeks, no doubt. And I did not care.

Edward's singing had that song stuck in my head. And this impermeable good mood made every little annoyance seem manageable.

**Only one chapter left. :( Please review while you still have the chance! :D**


	27. Zealous

**Chapter Twenty Seven – Zealous**

Summer vacation. It had been a blessing when I was a human—a reprieve from the tedium of school. But now... it was merely an extension of my rapture. Whether we were locked in school or boundless in summer vacation, I was undeniably happy with my family. It was the fourth of July, the summer before my first official college tour would begin. Edward and I would be attending Dartmouth, this time legitimately, in exactly two months. The whole "acting human" thing became easier as time went on. Senior year was surprisingly fun. It certainly was more complete than my first time around. And graduation seemed a little lackluster in comparison, having experienced it before. Every second of the summer had been as blissful as I could have hoped for.

Once it started getting dark out, Edward brought me to the roof, but refused to say why. With the fairly decent weather lately, we'd been forced into reclusion again, not that I would ever complain. Locked in a room with Edward was hardly punishment. But the fresh air felt good against my skin.

Night was our cover. I climbed onto the roof without fear or worry.

Up there, he had a blanket spread like a cushion for us. He settled into a sitting position first. And I climbed into his waiting arms, nestling to the most comfortable position.

"Are you going to tell me what we're up here for?"

He said nothing. In the distance, soft blasts turned into loud explosions. The sky illuminated with showers of gold and silver. Of course—Fourth of July, fireworks.

"I want to marry you." Edward whispered, out of the blue, his voice absolutely zealous.

"But...we're...already...married." I sputtered, wholly confused by his...request? I couldn't quite phrase the way he asked it properly. Confusion eradicated all rationality.

He laughed, adding music to the boisterous explosions far off. "I know that, silly. I mean, I want to marry you again. Before we go off to Dartmouth."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Wow, I just got the strangest sense of déjà vu." It was suddenly twelve years ago.

That elicited more glorious laughter from him. "You don't have to let Alice plan another spectacle. Just me, you, and the family. That way, when we're at Dartmouth, I won't have to pretend you're anything other than my beautifully perfect wife." He was kissing the palm of my hand. Sucking up was the better description.

"Can't we just use wedding pictures from our _real _wedding?" I asked, and Edward frowned promptly.

Once again, I was being unreasonable while Edward was just being as romantic as ever. I amended the situation quickly. "What's in it for me?"

He smiled earnestly after I kissed him for the one thousandth time. "Whatever you want."

It was hard to argue with him when his voice was that tantalizing.

"I think I've got an idea." My head filled with countless thoughts of how I could be properly compensated. And from the look of things, Edward would have no problem obliging any of them. These whims I would be asking for would benefit us both.

Wrapped up in Edward like a warm blanket, I watched the fireworks with newfound curiosity (my memory of fireworks had been vague). And the two of us began to envisaged our future. College...Another wedding...What would most _definitely _be happening tonight... Yes, my life as a vampire was perfect.

And it had only just begun.

**The End.**

**Writing this has been a blast, and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. And once again, thank you for all of your support--I probably would not have finished this story without all of your kind reviews! :) The bad news is, I will be taking a break from the Twilight fandom as I work to finish some other stories. But hopefully all you awesome Twilighters will enjoy my other stories. :D Happy reading!**

**~IWillBeThereWhereYouAre**


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